**As published in RCR Wireless News**

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Kicking off a panel dedicated to video on smartphones at Digital Hollywood yesterday, The Nielsen Co.’s VP of mobile media presented some astonishing statistics that frame the intense battle that’s getting underway between Google Inc.’s Android operating system and Apple Inc.’s iPhone.

Citing fresh data that the research firm put together just in time for the event, Jerry Rocha said smartphones running on the Android operating systems are beating or tying with the iPhone in many use categories. Time will tell whether Android users will maintain their high use data services, but if the trend stays on track Apple might be outdone at its own game very soon.

Android users are outperforming iPhone users on location-based services and mobile video while both user groups are in a dead heat for mobile Internet use at an overall rate of 88%, Rocha said. Data services on the Android operating system has taken off in just the past couple quarters and is currently running at a year-over-year growth rate of 352%, he added. Continue Reading

**As published in digiday:DAILY**

Publisher: Verizon Wireless Price: Free Platform: Android
Advertising: None
Functionality: B
Fun Factor: A
Overall: A-

Ending a multi-year exclusive deal with Sprint Nextel Corp., Verizon Wireless scooped up a major win earlier this year when it landed a deal with the National Football League to exclusively carry the brand on mobile for the next four years.

Although the regular season is still four long months away from kickoff, the nation’s largest carrier took advantage of the off-season hype by launching its marquee NFL Mobile app less just in time for the 2010 NFL Draft, which ran from April 22-24.

The carrier admits the app is still in the growing phase, but most of the must-have features for any NFL fan – news and information, 2010 season schedules, player profiles, draft prospects, team updates, and analysis – are already in play. What really sweetens the pot though, particularly for millions of cable TV subscribers still locked out of access to NFL Network, is a live 24/7 stream of the all-things-football channel. Continue Reading

**As published at digiday:DAILY**

What’s That App Called? ESPN 2010 World Cup
Publisher: ESPN Price: Free Platform: iPhone
Advertising: interactive display ads from Hyundai, Sony and Cisco when we used the app
Functionality: A
Fun Factor: B
Overall: B

If you ever want to know just how many seconds, minutes, hours and days must pass before the 2010 FIFA World Cup begins; ESPN’s got your back. So long as you have an iPhone or iPod Touch. By the time you read this, it will be slightly more than 86 days give or take a few hours, in case you’re wondering.

The point is, by implementing a countdown clock marking kickoff, ESPN cleverly makes a play for reaching the increasingly anxious and excitable World Cup fan base well in advance of the global event. It’s simple yet engaging, but more importantly it just might make you want to come back often to check that clock. Continue Reading

**As published in RCR Wireless News**

BARCELONA – As BBC’s director of future media and technology announced the broadcaster’s latest plans for the mobile platform he did, frankly, what more media outlets should do: took the industry to task for its increasingly fragmented approach to content.

“We find it rather strange that the burden falls on us to reformat and repurpose our programming and content for every other platform and every device that comes out every six months,” Erik Huggers said in a brief keynote at Mobile World Congress. “Is it really necessary for us to have that fragmented of a market? Do we really all need our own app store?” Continue Reading

** As published in RCR Wireless News **

LAS VEGAS–As if there wasn’t enough evidence already of mobile’s growing power in the consumer electronics space, Qualcomm Inc. Chairman and CEO Paul Jacobs gave his first-ever keynote at CES this morning.

When it comes to wireless communications, one would be hard-pressed to find a company that’s become as entrenched and integral to the growth and innovations the industry has achieved as Qualcomm. Indeed, the San Diego-based company’s rise has been lock-in-step with the exponential rise in global mobility.

And yet, Jacobs began his speech today: “Qualcomm’s not exactly a household name.”

Jacobs believes every electronics device will eventually be like a cellphone, in varying form factors of course, but the key ingredient being that always-connected data capability. Continue Reading