This month’s brief issue focuses on some interesting developments in Technology. First, we look at how Internet access and mobile data is spreading at a break-neck pace into emerging markets. Then we provide a snapshot of the iPhone’s quick journey to the top, and how Apple’s impact on mobile data services has been a total game-changer, creating new, exciting opportunities for brands to build and sustain mindshare. Finally, we share some thoughts on the current Netbook trend and how the future of cloud computing can create opportunities for advertisers.
We hope you find this issue of The Source informative and, as always, we welcome your feedback.
Tony Brinton , Creative Director & Editor in ChiefOnline Accessibility in Emerging Markets
No one can ignore the movement of labor and technology across oceans and continents as globalization marches forward. For better or for worse, previously closed economies are now open for trade with the rest of the world. Just as the proliferation of cellular communication networks in developing countries continues, it is only natural for the Internet to follow.
I’ve Got a Pocket Full of Internet
I recently attended a week-long iPhone Training Boot Camp, during which I was reminded of an interesting fact – when the Apple iPhone originally launched in June of 2007 it did not have an App Store. It wasn’t until almost a year later in March of 2008 that a SDK (Software Development Kit) was released to allow developers to use anything besides the custom JavaScript library built into Mobile Safari to leverage the power of the iPhone. Of course, now the App Store is the basis of their whole iPhone sales campaign with its popular “We’ve got an App for that” tagline.
Read the ArticleTrendwatch: Netbooks
What are Netbooks?
Netbooks are mini-notebook computers, introduced in late 2007, designed to be small, super-portable and cheap. They are intentionally scaled down for use almost exclusively with web-based applications, and therefore require less processing power and don’t need certain hardware features found on traditional laptops such as optical drives or ethernet ports.
Consumers’ adoption rate of netbooks has been astonishing. A recent CNN money article sited these numbers:
“IDC reported Friday that worldwide shipments of these sub-compact portable computers grew seven-fold year-over-year in the first quarter of 2009, according to Computerworld’s Agam Shah. By the end of the year, IDC estimates, netbook shipments could reach 22 million.”
Read the Article
