4.3.3 is available for download, now Apple can’t track you…(for as long!)

On Wednesday, Apple released their unscheduled new software update to sort the problem that annoyed many iPhone and iPad 3G users. The problem that causes this outrage was that two British computer programmers found a folder on the iPhone that was recording your location with transmitter triangulation data and by recording the Wi-Fi Hot Spots that the handset also connected to.

Apple insists that this storage facility was designed to improve the speed and the efficiency of the apps on the phone that required a GPS location such as Sat Nav or even Google maps.  There was also many comments made that the data was then put onto iTunes during a sync, but that was not proved and Apple did deny that this did happen.

Apple has released the new iPhone software (ver. 4.3.3) that is available from iTunes. This new software version will reduce the size of the storage folder, so only very recent locations will be saved and the software will also delete all locations data when the location services are turned off. Their previous data storage folder had been recording locations for almost a whole year.

Apple rejects claims that iPhone users are being tracked

iPhones and Smartphones as a whole, have so much technology onboard that they are taking priority as our main multimedia device when conducting our internet activities. All this technology and functionality has posed a question towards Apple. ‘Is Apple using Wi-Fi networks and mobile reception to track user movements?’

The question has been generated by two British computer programmers after some research. Apple has released a statement saying that they do not follow any of the location services such as GPS or Google Maps. Apple has no intention of tracking iPhones and never will.

Despite this the iPhone does log what Wi-Fi access points, 3G and transmitter towers that it connects to.  It does this so that it can establish its location very quickly. This log was discovered by the British programmers who found a hidden list of locations on your device.

This log was then updated to iTunes during a sync, this the means that other people with network sharing access can view this data, including Apple.

In response to these claims, Apple has said that they are going to release a new software update. The update will still have a log of connections to Wi-Fi and other services but the log will be much smaller. This log is according to Apple, a location database that will not be included in the sync to iTunes as before. So, the database will consist of less info and will only stay on the iPhone.

The database was used to increase the accuracy of the GPS and other location based services, so with a smaller database will this be compromised? Surely by not including this sync with iTunes it’s sufficient?

App success leads to a Mobile Transactional site…

Budget Hotel chain Premier Inn are putting together a mobile website that will show room vacancies, a booking area and an order confirmation screen following the great success that its app had in generating room bookings.

The Hotel Chain has stated that the app developed a million pounds in bookings. The app was launched in January and has been very successful.  This has then generated the interest in a mobile friendly website that will include an order confirmation page to book the room. The website will be very similar to the app that was launched on the iPhone, android and Nokia handsets.

The App was produced because Premier Inn mobile users found the traditional website very tricky to navigate on the handset. This was preventing bookings.  The app was downloaded 250,000 times, it was also linked into the GPS systems on many handsets so that it would show the nearest hotel at any given time.

Research shows that the app really helped the business audience when booking a room last minute. However, most bookings were done via the iPhone approximately 3 months in advance.  The developer of the app is also been included onto the development team for the new mobile site. Key areas will be to keep the iPhone users business coming in and also make sure that the user experience is perfect for Blackberry’s, Androids and Nokia’s.

How important is the Mobile Internet and Mobile Search to your Website?

The perception is that accessing websites can only be done from a PC.  The reality of it is that the mobile world is expanding, possibly exploding and there is a list of alternative methods to searching, accessing and interacting with the internet.

The mobile internet started with WAP (wireless application protocol) and back then it was a small benefit, perhaps even a mobile toy. The bandwidths that the WAP used were very low and dial up internet was a fast connection.  These days the bandwidths are much bigger, there have been more technology advancements and more mobiles that demand a better data service. The interest in Smartphone’s, iPhones, Nokia N-Series and PDAs has kicked off a new mobile age, and businesses and their websites have to make sure that they are compliant.

The mobile internet is not for the select few, it’s available for almost all mobile phones, and sometimes is included into the line rental. The key advantage that the mobile internet has over the desktop internet is that it is mobile. The quick internet search is immediate and the results are with you in seconds, making impulse buying a bit easier, and making more sales for your business.

Marketers are aware that the internet is a very powerful tool, but do businesses? The mobile internet and the mobile search engine is an opportunity to swop email campaigns for SMS marketing, integrated media and links. There is also the facility that mobiles can be targeted within a geographical radius, informing them of a special offer, opening hours, contact details and the website URL, all to their mobile.

Combining these methods with PPC and SEO will improve traffic to website. Designing a mobile friendly site is also vital. When users click on a preferred result from a search engine,the site needs to load promptly before the user decides to select their second result, and if the search is on a PPC search, it’s chargeable.

You might be thinking from a business point of view that the explosion has already happened. However, with the increase in Smartphone sales, tablet computers, and even the Microsoft Windows 7 phone, it’s a serious avenue to ignore. Mobile search and internet won’t replace the stationary desktop method, but it is showing growth, and it’s not a saturated market either.

In a way the mobile internet has freed up the internet for more innovations and new brand names, it has not been taken over by Google or by anybody else. A technical manager, webmaster or even an in house marketing team would need to be very brave to ignore this potential traffic.

Internet Video Calling is on the Rise

When watching cartoons, science fiction movies or even reading a comic, you may have noticed these characters using video gadgets that show the person that they are calling, perhaps on a watch or a handheld device. Police detective Dick Tracy has a video calling device that was mounted on his watch, supporting video calls. So, back in the days of Mr Tracy, the video call was an idea but how available and useful is it to the people of today?  

Well, the video calling services can be found on an Apple iPhone (called FaceTime), on Skype and Fring. These services have really come alive since their invention and there is now mass demand for Smartphone’s, quicker wireless networks and a booming age social networking. The growth of video calling started as a business solution, when hosting a meeting with people that aren’t all together, possibly in different countries. Things have moved on and the video calling is now aimed more towards the individual, potentially replacing the voice call for a video call.

Skype was the pioneer of internet calling, and their App for the Apple iPhone set a new benchmark. When the app was released on Jan the 1st 2011 for the iPhone, it resulted in one million video calls on that day, just from mobile phones. Following on from that, the number of Skype calls from PC’s and laptops increased by 40%, an estimated 70 billion minutes were used between users.

There will be a change in the way that video calling will replace voice calling as the smartphone market increases. Also, 10 million people downloaded the Skype Free iPhone app at the beginning of this year. So, the figures are stacking up in favour of video over voice.

There is a small minority of people that will not be influenced by this new opportunity; a traditional voice call is enough and a video call may be deemed as to intrusive. The stats show that while the video call is proving very popular it won’t be a total replacement of the voice call.

Skype is supported in the US by Verizon Wireless, concreting the service and delivering the best communication to its members. The video calling will work on the Apple iPhone 4, Google Android, and Nokia’s Symbian OS mobiles.  The service is used a lot in the US and Europe but channels are also opening in Russia, India and South Africa.

Even when using the Skype service via a PC, there are phone handsets on the market that connect to the PC’s USB port that replicate a traditional landline handset, if the video call does not suit you at that time.

The Skype calls are free as long as all parties on the call are registered with Skype, making those conference calls and international calls more attractive. All calls have to be made with a Wi-Fi connection with an enabled mobile phone, and the appropriate app. That is the only real criteria. Compare that with a mobile call to a destination inside and outside the UK that would be chargeable, Skype is a very good solution.  Building up a Skype directory could be the new social networking craze.

So, internet calling could save you money and a video call will add some quality.

The BBC iPlayer App is Released…….Controversially!

As we have previously discussed, the channels that people use for entertainment purposes during their leisure time is changing. For example, online shopping is on the increase, a strategy board game is being replaced for an online video game, and even watching TV through a hand held device to name just a few. So, you would imagine that an app that would video stream your favourite TV series onto your device to enhance the user experience would be beneficial to many people. Well, if you don’t have iPad or an Android OS 2.2 mobile phone, then the App will not benefit you at all…. and this is what has generated some angry responses.

The BBC iPlayer, 4oD and ITV player are all video streaming hosts that supply TV programmes over the internet, to your PC or laptop. These video streaming hosts have been receiving more and more demand. Users like to keep up to date with an ongoing TV series or view a sports event that they missed watching on normal TV.  It’s almost a perfect solution for the individual that has more going on in their lives and watches TV when they can, not when preferred programmes are broadcasted.

Daniel Danker is the new general manager of BBC programmes on demand, and he joined the BBC in September. He replaced Erik Huggers, who stated that the app was going to be a big part of the plans to make BBC online more accessible on mobile devices. The BBC News app has been very successful since its launch last year, so the BBC Online Team can release some good services.

However, the app has been challenged by many because of a very basic floor. It will not be available for the iPhone and only works on mobiles using an Android OS 2.2 and many users are disappointed. Despite the comment made by BBC online stating that they want to make the facility more accessible on mobile devices, it’s not supported on an iPhone and just to rub salt in the wounds it will work on an iPad. In addition, the internet connection to run the service would have to be a Wi-Fi connection not a 3G connection. This would limit the ‘mobile’ aspect when making the service more accessible to the mobile device.  So, the app has been criticised as being a ‘letdown’, ‘anti climax’, and ‘a bit pointless’.

The Wi-Fi connection is required, according to Nick from the BBC, because using Flash 10.1 video streaming to mobiles delivers significant infrastructure efficiencies for the BBC, doing it this way means that the BBC would not have to upgrade any systems or install any new kit. Nick continued to say that the service that is being delivered is a very high quality service, a service that is available via PC, Wii, iPad, and PS3.

In summary, The BBC News App is on the iPhone and the iPad, but the BBC iPlayer app is only on the iPad – I think that the BBC might have missed trick here by not including the iPhone even if it is only supported by a Wi-Fi connection.

Smartphone Sales Encourage Mobile Marketing

As mentioned in previous Storm Marketing blogs, now is the time get on board with mobile marketing as the sales of smartphones continue to increase.

Leading information and technology research and advisory company, Gartner, recently advised that there was 72.1% growth in smartphones during 2010.

If this isn’t enough to get the attention of marketers we don’t know what is.  Companies need to visit their SEO strategies to cater for mobile marketing.

Carolina Milanese, research vice-president at Gartner, said: “Strong smartphone sales in the fourth quarter of 2010 pushed Apple and Research In Motion up in our 2010 worldwide ranking of mobile device manufacturers to the number five and number four positions respectively.”

Research In Motion (RIM) are the company responsible for producing all the BlackBerry devices which are rivals to Apple’s iPhone.

In a recent survey undertaken by the Association of National Advertisers and the Mobile Marketing Association, 75% of digital marketers have plans to increase their investment in mobile marketing.

Mobile Twitter posts up by 15%

Twitter CEO, Dick Costolo this week advised us that over 40% of the tweets posted on the website are posted via a mobile phone.

Whilst being interviewed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, Costolo confirmed that the figure has increased from 25% at the same time last year.

Costolo attributed the increase to the launch of Twitter apps for mobiles using the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry operating platforms.

He went on to advise that TV shows are currently the most popular subjects for Tweeting.

 “It’s definitely the case that network TV people like Twitter because it gives them feedback, like they’re in the theatre watching how the shows play out,” he said. “When [the TV show] Glee starts, tweets per second for Glee shoot up and stay up 100 times that level until the show ends, then they drop.”

Costolo also revealed that the company has been in discussions with TV networks about creating products purpose built for this trend.

Apple iOs 4.2 for iPhone and iPad released

Once again the people at Apple have released another software update for both the iPhone and iPad. The idea for this Operating System (called OS 4.2) is that the system is even more innovative that the iOs 4.2 that stood proudly in its place previously. The new realise will hold more facilities, more intelligence and greater capabilities, all of which is engineered on a mobile devise for one goal, to be the best!

So what’s new in this update? Well, the software is more multi – purpose and therefore Apple have included the Multitasking functions to the phone. Examples would include situations when an app is running (perhaps a VOiP call) when you need information from the internet. iOs4 allows the VOiP call to continue while allowing access to Safari to retrieve information. This transition is improved and very slick.

As a part of the software update you can install programmes that will allow you to create your own app. According to online adverts there are 100,000 apps, there is an app for just about anything. The apps that can be created will be linked into the game centre.

Another welcome addition is the “Find My iPhone” (or iPad or iPod touch..) app which is FREE to use without a MobileMe subscription. This enables you locate your missing device on a map and have it display a message or play a sound. Users can even remotely lock or wipe data from a lost device to protect privacy. We’ve tested this already here at Storm, and its VERY impressive.

The iOS 4.2 update is available download to iPad, iPhone and iPod touch by syncing the device with iTunes 10.1.

iOS 4.2 is compatible with iPad, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, second and third generation iPod touch (late 2009 models with 32GB or 64GB) and new iPod touch. Some features may not be available on all products – eg, Multitasking requires iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, third generation iPod touch (late 2009 models with 32GB or 64GB) or later.

Apple releases iOS 4.0.2 for iPhone and 3.2.2 for iPad

Steve Jobs of Apple demonstrating iPhone 4

Apple has just released iOS 4.0.2 for the iPhone and 3.2.2 for the iPad, which (most importantly) are reported to fix the PDF security exploits in previous versions.

The update reportedly doesn’t add anything further for the user, which whilst the majority of iPhone owners will sleep soundly knowing their phone is no longer vunerable, iPhone Jailbreak fans will be devistated – as the fix closes the loophole used by the JailbreakMe software and apparantly ‘breaks’ the jailbreak.