http://moconews.net/rss/topic/adult/ mocoNews news watch | Adult Unhealthily Obsessed With Mobile Content 2012-02-11T06:40:38Z Copyright (c) 2012, mocoNews ExpressionEngine http://moconews.net/images/site/logo_mn_secondary.png We Love Us Some Mobile Internet In The UK tag:contentnext.com,2011-08-31:article/419-we-love-us-some-mobile-internet-in-the-uk 2011-08-31T10:14:32Z 2011-08-31T10:21:33Z Ingrid Lunden http://moconews.net/member/34/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2011, mocoNews Numbers out this morning from the Office of National Statistics in the UK give us the most up-to-date picture yet of the growing role mobile is playing in the digital divide: 45 percent of the country’s Internet-using population have taken to mobile devices to go online in the past year. The rise in usage among 16-24 year-olds is most impressive: 71 percent today are using mobile devices to go online, compared to 44 percent only a year ago.

]]> Numbers out this morning from the Office of National Statistics in the UK give us the most up-to-date picture yet of the growing role mobile is playing in the digital divide: 45 percent of the country’s Internet-using population have taken to mobile devices to go online in the past year. The rise in usage among 16-24 year-olds is most impressive: 71 percent today are using mobile devices to go online, compared to 44 percent only a year ago.

The figures underscore how much smartphones and advanced feature phones, combined with low-cost data plans and WiFi, are transforming how the internet is consumed. It looks like the UK is standing out as one of the leaders in this sense. It’s not a 100 percent, like-for-like comparison but as a point of reference, comScore yesterday released figures that showed that in the U.S. some 41 percent of consumers used the mobile web browsers on their handsets in the last three months.

But despite how long we have been able to access the mobile web on our devices—the first data networks came into place a decade ago, as did the first phones to browse the Internet—mass market growth has come only recently. The ONS notes that in the last 12 months, six million people accessed the Internet for the very first time on their mobile phones.

Other key points:

» Overall, the UK has some 37.7 million Internet users at the moment. That means that nearly 17 million of us have used our mobile phones to access the mobile internet.

» Other “mobile” devices such as laptops and tablets are also making a big impact: 38 percent of people say they have used these kind of devices to access the internet. That’s on top of mobile phone usage, by the way.

» WiFi is big: usage of hotspots has doubled in the last year to 4.9 million users (13 percent of internet users).

» People over the age of 65 are the least likely to use a mobile to access the internet—only eight percent of internet users in that age group have used mobile devices to do this. (A market opportunity?)

» In terms of what it is that people are doing when they go online, it looks like social networking is a key driver of usage. Among adults, 57 percent say they have used social networks online, compared to 43 percent a year ago. Among that much-coveted demographic of 16-24 year-olds, the number is amazingly high: 91 percent. To compare to the comScore (NSDQ: SCOR) figures from yesterday, in the U.S., around 30 of mobile phone users in the country used their devices to access social networks.

» The digital divide: now 77 percent of all UK households have access to the internet, a rather small rise on the 73 percent from a year ago. Of those, 93 percent are using broadband to go online.

The full report is here.

Related

]]> Apple's Lawyers Go After X-Rated 'App Store' tag:contentnext.com,2011-03-23:article/419-apple-lawyers-go-after-x-rated-app-store 2011-03-23T21:37:01Z 2011-03-24T13:45:02Z Joe Mullin http://moconews.net/member/15476/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2011, mocoNews Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) is already involved in two battles over the phrase “app store”—one with Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT), which is opposing Apple’s trademark application, on that phrase, and a lawsuit against Amazon which has launched its own app store, called “appstore.” Now it’s come to light that the company has also unleashed its lawyers against a much smaller company, MiKandi, which until recently called itself “the world’s first app store for adults.”

]]> Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) is already involved in two battles over the phrase “app store”—one with Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT), which is opposing Apple’s trademark application, on that phrase, and a lawsuit against Amazon which has launched its own app store, called “appstore.” Now it’s come to light that the company has also unleashed its lawyers against a much smaller company, MiKandi, which until recently called itself “the world’s first app store for adults.”

In an interview with Seattle tech blog GeekWire, MiKandi’s co-founders say they received a cease-and-desist letter from Apple earlier this month. They have no plans to fight Apple over the issue, and they’ve already changed the site’s branding to read “the world’s first app market for adults.”

MiKandi has already had one brush with Apple, when Steve Jobs referred to them as the “porn store” on Android. But being the target of Jobs’ wrath apparently isn’t all bad for a small business like MiKandi. “That was an awesome thing,” co-founder Jen McEwen told GeekWire. “We got 10,000 downloads of our app store in 12 hours that day. It was amazing.”

Related

]]> Mobile Content Bits: Google Latitude; Flo TV; AMV/Cherry Adult Content tag:contentnext.com,2010-12-13:article/419-mobile-content-bits-google-latitude-flo-tv-amvcherry-adult-content 2010-12-13T16:03:23Z 2010-12-13T16:46:24Z Ingrid Lunden http://moconews.net/member/34/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2010, mocoNews —Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Latitude: Google’s mapping/presence app has finally made its way to Apple’s App Store, after initially getting barred when the service was first launched early in 2009. The app had already been available on Android, BlackBerry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile smartphones, and has around 9 million users who share their location with friends who are also using the service. (via Google’s mobile blog)

]]> —Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Latitude: Google’s mapping/presence app has finally made its way to Apple’s App Store, after initially getting barred when the service was first launched early in 2009. The app had already been available on Android, BlackBerry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile smartphones, and has around 9 million users who share their location with friends who are also using the service. (via Google’s mobile blog)

—Flo TV: Wind-down of Qualcomm’s mobile TV service continues apace. Current subscribers are being offered a rebate on all special Flo TV receiving devices that were purchased for the service. The rebate covers the Flo TV Personal Television, the Audiovox Portable DVD Player, and the Flo TV Auto Entertainment device. But the devices themselves do not need to be returned. The Flo TV service will officially stop working on March 27, 2011. (rebate site)

—AMV/Cherry: American Mobile Ventures has signed a deal with adult content provider Cherry Media to produce and distribute over two million “assets” to mobiles, tablets and other portable devices. AMV says that the content will be promoted via “mass media advertisements” and distributed and sold through third-party, age-verified, independent billing providers. This is the second content expansion deal for AMV this month: it bought WAP content company K2 Media for an undisclosed price at the beginning of December. Terms of the deal with Cherry also were not disclosed. (via emailed release)

]]> Major Pubs Get A Pass On Apple's Ban On Racy Apps tag:contentnext.com,2010-02-23:article/419-apples-ban-on-racy-apps-due-to-rising-complaints-major-pubs-get-a-pass 2010-02-23T13:22:23Z 2010-02-23T15:19:27Z David Kaplan http://moconews.net/member/32/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2010, mocoNews Apple’s ban on some sexually-suggestive content in the iTunes App Store was due to an increasing number of complaints from women’s and parent groups, a top exec tells the NYT. But the policy is selective, as not all apps featuring scantily-clad women have been bannished. For example, Sports Illustrated’s free Swimsuit app is still available for download—though Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) asks that users certify they are over 17 years of age before loading—as is a related game app. Playboy (NYSE: PLA) has several paid apps still on sale in the App Store.

]]> Apple’s ban on some sexually-suggestive content in the iTunes App Store was due to an increasing number of complaints from women’s and parent groups, a top exec tells the NYT. But the policy is selective, as not all apps featuring scantily-clad women have been bannished. For example, Sports Illustrated’s free Swimsuit app is still available for download—though Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) asks that users certify they are over 17 years of age before loading—as is a related game app. Playboy (NYSE: PLA) has several paid apps still on sale in the App Store.

Philip Schiller, Apple’s head of worldwide product marketin, explained to the NYT why those apps remain available, while others, such as On the Go Girls’ 50 adult-themed apps, have been blocked: “The difference is this is a well-known company with previously published material available broadly in a well-accepted format.”

In the meantime, makers of other banned Apple apps such as Dirty Fingers and others of that ilk still have a place in Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Android’s app store, allowing users to flag certain items. Google also reserves the right to remove apps that violate its terms, but at this point, considering the Android app store is still much smaller than Apple’s, it will exert a much lighter touch on what sort of material gets removed.

]]> Ladies, There's An App For You, Too (Thanks To Playgirl) tag:contentnext.com,2009-12-11:article/419-ladies-theres-an-app-for-you-too-playgirl-releases-official-iphone-app 2009-12-11T16:57:04Z 2009-12-11T17:17:05Z Tricia Duryee http://moconews.net/member/55/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2009, mocoNews Apparently, Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) is getting more comfortable with its sexuality. Following the approval of the official Playboy app, Playgirl has been accepted into the App Store. Much like the Playboy (NYSE: PLA) app, the PLAYGIRL Centerfold iPhone application has received a 17+ rating for nudity, however, the most daring content you’ll find here is the plethora of topless men. The app comes pre-loaded with 50 centerfolds, access to a blog, and has a porn star name generator. It also advertises “pinch” zooming, presumably to get a close-up look at all those six-packs. Release.

The app was made in partnership with GrindhouseMobile.com, which helps adult content providers bring their content to mobile. The app costs 99 cents, and has enabled in-app purchasing for more centerfolds. That compares to the Playboy app, which costs $1.99 a month for the latest content.

]]> Apparently, Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) is getting more comfortable with its sexuality. Following the approval of the official Playboy app, Playgirl has been accepted into the App Store. Much like the Playboy (NYSE: PLA) app, the PLAYGIRL Centerfold iPhone application has received a 17+ rating for nudity, however, the most daring content you’ll find here is the plethora of topless men. The app comes pre-loaded with 50 centerfolds, access to a blog, and has a porn star name generator. It also advertises “pinch” zooming, presumably to get a close-up look at all those six-packs. Release.

The app was made in partnership with GrindhouseMobile.com, which helps adult content providers bring their content to mobile. The app costs 99 cents, and has enabled in-app purchasing for more centerfolds. That compares to the Playboy app, which costs $1.99 a month for the latest content.

]]> Official Playboy App Now Available On iPhone tag:contentnext.com,2009-12-10:article/419-the-official-playboy-app-is-now-available-on-the-iphone 2009-12-10T22:17:08Z 2009-12-10T22:23:09Z Tricia Duryee http://moconews.net/member/55/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2009, mocoNews Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has given the official iPhone Playboy (NYSE: PLA) application a 17+ rating, but don’t expect any nudity here. Apple gives a slightly false impression by warning that the app has “frequent/intense sexual content or nudity,” but Playboy promises that the app obeys Apple’s strict policies on porn and that the raciest content includes cropped photos of the playmates and sexy poses.

The application is now available in iTunes for $1.99 on the iPhones and the iPod Touch. The app features content from the monthly magazine, such as a picture of the cover, table of contents, the Playmate’s intro text, and behind the scenes videos. There’s also wallpapers of the iconic rabbit head. For Playboy, the app represents a recurring revenue stream because users will be able to download a new edition of the app on the same day the Playboy magazine hits the newsstands.

]]> Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has given the official iPhone Playboy (NYSE: PLA) application a 17+ rating, but don’t expect any nudity here. Apple gives a slightly false impression by warning that the app has “frequent/intense sexual content or nudity,” but Playboy promises that the app obeys Apple’s strict policies on porn and that the raciest content includes cropped photos of the playmates and sexy poses.

The application is now available in iTunes for $1.99 on the iPhones and the iPod Touch. The app features content from the monthly magazine, such as a picture of the cover, table of contents, the Playmate’s intro text, and behind the scenes videos. There’s also wallpapers of the iconic rabbit head. For Playboy, the app represents a recurring revenue stream because users will be able to download a new edition of the app on the same day the Playboy magazine hits the newsstands.

Related

]]> The iPhone Wrap: Korean Kick-Off; Interest In Maps; Developers Commiserate; Porn On Android tag:contentnext.com,2009-11-29:article/419-the-iphone-wrap-korean-kick-off-interest-in-maps-developers-commiserate 2009-11-29T23:42:03Z 2009-11-29T23:43:04Z Tricia Duryee http://moconews.net/member/55/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2009, mocoNews Hundreds of Koreans are lining up as much as 26 hours in advance to buy the iPhone. The greeting is in stark contrast to Apple’s reception in China, and must be a troublesome sign for Korean handset makers like LG (SEO: 066570) and Samsung, which have battling Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) in other countries, but not in its home town. According to the AP, KT, the country’s second-largest carrier, had received about 65,000 pre-orders. The 32 GB iPhone 3GS is selling for $317 on a $38 per month two-year contract and is free with a $112 a-month-contract. Samsung has already lowered prices in reaction. [Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech.]

—Job opening: An Apple job listing says it is seeking an iPhone Software Engineer to join the iPhone and iPod Touch Maps team with the goal of taking the iPhone’s built-in Maps App to “the next level.” This follows Google’s introduction of free turn-by-turn navigation and Apple’s recent purchase of a mapping company called Placebase, which had been know for differentiating itself from Google’s offerings. [MacRumors.]

—AppleRejectMe launches: Developers have created a support group of sorts where they can go to complain if Apple has rejected one of their application submissions. The site can be found at http://applerejectedme.com/, but it doesn’t seem very serious. [AppAdvice.com.]

—Apple rejects porn, Android doesn’t: An application called MiKandi can be downloaded to Android phones. Once installed, the app gives you access to all sorts of porn or risque apps under categories, such as ‘Adult News’, ‘Erotica’ and ‘Eye Candy.’ The app can be installed because Android is an open platform, however, it cannot be distributed through the Android Market, where porn is not allowed. [thenextweb.com.]

]]> Hundreds of Koreans are lining up as much as 26 hours in advance to buy the iPhone. The greeting is in stark contrast to Apple’s reception in China, and must be a troublesome sign for Korean handset makers like LG (SEO: 066570) and Samsung, which have battling Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) in other countries, but not in its home town. According to the AP, KT, the country’s second-largest carrier, had received about 65,000 pre-orders. The 32 GB iPhone 3GS is selling for $317 on a $38 per month two-year contract and is free with a $112 a-month-contract. Samsung has already lowered prices in reaction. [Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech.]

—Job opening: An Apple job listing says it is seeking an iPhone Software Engineer to join the iPhone and iPod Touch Maps team with the goal of taking the iPhone’s built-in Maps App to “the next level.” This follows Google’s introduction of free turn-by-turn navigation and Apple’s recent purchase of a mapping company called Placebase, which had been know for differentiating itself from Google’s offerings. [MacRumors.]

—AppleRejectMe launches: Developers have created a support group of sorts where they can go to complain if Apple has rejected one of their application submissions. The site can be found at http://applerejectedme.com/, but it doesn’t seem very serious. [AppAdvice.com.]

—Apple rejects porn, Android doesn’t: An application called MiKandi can be downloaded to Android phones. Once installed, the app gives you access to all sorts of porn or risque apps under categories, such as ‘Adult News’, ‘Erotica’ and ‘Eye Candy.’ The app can be installed because Android is an open platform, however, it cannot be distributed through the Android Market, where porn is not allowed. [thenextweb.com.]

]]> UPDATED: Porn Comes and Goes From Apple's App Store tag:contentnext.com,2009-06-25:article/419-porn-comes-and-goes-from-apples-app-store 2009-06-25T19:33:47Z 2009-06-26T19:08:48Z Tricia Duryee http://moconews.net/member/55/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2009, mocoNews Everyone assumed that the iPhone app launched yesterday, featuring topless ladies was there with Apple’s blessing since the Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) added parental controls in the latest iPhone software update. Not true. TechCrunch is reporting that Apple has pulled the app, “Hottest Girls,” from its shelves, but not before everyone got excited about the new category that could potentially generate tons of money for developers.

]]> Everyone assumed that the iPhone app launched yesterday, featuring topless ladies was there with Apple’s blessing since the Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) added parental controls in the latest iPhone software update. Not true. TechCrunch is reporting that Apple has pulled the app, “Hottest Girls,” from its shelves, but not before everyone got excited about the new category that could potentially generate tons of money for developers.

UPDATE: TechCrunch is now reporting that the app was not pulled by Apple, but rather it was the developers who were concerned that it would crash their servers, and are simply considering it “sold out” for the time being. TechCrunch says that may be true because the page still remains in iTunes—you just can’t buy it. However, I have not been able to find the page, even after searching for “Allen Leung,” the developer. Results include three other apps, including “Hottest Guys—Sexy Shirtless Men.” It’s certainly not porn (and is rated for 12 and up). On Friday, Apple confirmed that it pulled the application from its store inappropriate content, VentureBeat reports.

WSJ’s All Things D, reported: “The parental controls included in iPhone 3.0 have opened up a a rich and fertile frontier in Apple’s (AAPL) App Store: porn.” It appeared there was to be a new “red light district,” in which apps would receive several warnings, such as: “You must be at least 17 years old to download this game; Rated 17+ for the following: Frequent/Intense Sexual Content or Nudity, Frequent/Intense Mature/Suggestive Themes.”

Now that the app has been removed (or maybe it hasn’t), it makes you wonder if the only point of putting parental controls in place, was to allow parents to control a child’s spending? Today, iTunes does allow other explicit content, such as songs, webisdoes and podcasts, so it seems like only a matter of time.

]]> Microsoft Lists Banned Apps For Upcoming Store; Apple To Offer Age-Based Control Settings tag:contentnext.com,2009-05-06:article/419-microsoft-lists-banned-apps-for-upcoming-store-apple-app-store-age-cont 2009-05-06T10:31:01Z 2009-05-06T11:39:02Z Dianne See Morrison http://moconews.net/member/53/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2009, mocoNews imageWell, at least Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) has spelled out what it’s prohibiting from its upcoming app store. InformationWeek reports that the software giant has listed 12 application types that it will ban from the memorably named Microsoft Windows MarketPlace for Mobile, expected to debut in the second half of the year alongside the launch of Windows Mobile 6.5.

Apps that enable Voice over IP (VoIP) services over the carrier’s networks are out, unsurprising considering how hostile carriers have been to them. InformationWeek, however, writes that Skype already works over 3G on Windows Mobile phones, so the ban on them must be a concession that the carriers wrung out of Microsoft in return for carrier billing. Other prohibited apps include those that are larger than 10MB, those that promote or send users to alternative app stores for the same application, and ones that change the default browser, search client or media player on the device. The complete list is here.

Apple (NSDQ: AAPL), meanwhile, has fielded a lot of grief for the apps it rejects, including the Nine Inch Nails whose app got banned for “obscenity” and for Makayama Media whose Newspaper(s) app got rejected for including access to the UK’s Sun tabloid and its topless “Page 3” girls. According to 9to5mac.com, however, 3.0 of the iPhone will let users select parental control for apps and choose the age of the iPhone owner. The levels are: 4+, 9+, 12+, 17+. Once the controls are put in place, adult-themed content will apparently be allowed, though branded with an with NC-17 rating.

 

]]> imageWell, at least Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) has spelled out what it’s prohibiting from its upcoming app store. InformationWeek reports that the software giant has listed 12 application types that it will ban from the memorably named Microsoft Windows MarketPlace for Mobile, expected to debut in the second half of the year alongside the launch of Windows Mobile 6.5.

Apps that enable Voice over IP (VoIP) services over the carrier’s networks are out, unsurprising considering how hostile carriers have been to them. InformationWeek, however, writes that Skype already works over 3G on Windows Mobile phones, so the ban on them must be a concession that the carriers wrung out of Microsoft in return for carrier billing. Other prohibited apps include those that are larger than 10MB, those that promote or send users to alternative app stores for the same application, and ones that change the default browser, search client or media player on the device. The complete list is here.

Apple (NSDQ: AAPL), meanwhile, has fielded a lot of grief for the apps it rejects, including the Nine Inch Nails whose app got banned for “obscenity” and for Makayama Media whose Newspaper(s) app got rejected for including access to the UK’s Sun tabloid and its topless “Page 3” girls. According to 9to5mac.com, however, 3.0 of the iPhone will let users select parental control for apps and choose the age of the iPhone owner. The levels are: 4+, 9+, 12+, 17+. Once the controls are put in place, adult-themed content will apparently be allowed, though branded with an with NC-17 rating.

 

Related

]]> Mobile Content Bits: Music-editing Phone; Social Features For IPhone Games; UK Gambling tag:contentnext.com,2009-04-20:article/419-mobile-content-bits-090420 2009-04-20T20:51:23Z 2009-04-21T08:21:24Z James Quintana Pearce http://moconews.net/member/36/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2009, mocoNews —Music-Editing Phone: Design firm Pilotfish has shown a concept for a music phone which “will enable good quality recording of three separate sound tracks and allow editing of the music by physically twisting and bending the phone…The phone’s main touch-screen, which is similar to today’s folder phones, consists of three ‘sticks’ that can be removed and separately clipped onto a musical instrument or a person to capture live sound,” reports Reuters. The phone won’t be on the market for at least a few years, and considering the pace of innovation probably won’t make it at all—but some of the concepts are likely to make it into the market via various handsets.

—Social Features For iPhone Games: Now that the iPhone app store is becoming crowded developers are seeking ways to distinguish their wares, and social features are an obvious way of doing that. Several companies are setting up services which let other developers add social elements to their games, reports VentureBeat. Perhaps the best opportunity is from Aurora Feint VentureBeat. It has a feature called One Touch iPromote, which lets players gather in lobbies for specific categories “where they can see who is playing a game, discuss the game with fellow fans, and make a purchase on the App Store via a single click”. Several companies have signed up, so there are cross-promotional benefits.

]]> —Music-Editing Phone: Design firm Pilotfish has shown a concept for a music phone which “will enable good quality recording of three separate sound tracks and allow editing of the music by physically twisting and bending the phone…The phone’s main touch-screen, which is similar to today’s folder phones, consists of three ‘sticks’ that can be removed and separately clipped onto a musical instrument or a person to capture live sound,” reports Reuters. The phone won’t be on the market for at least a few years, and considering the pace of innovation probably won’t make it at all—but some of the concepts are likely to make it into the market via various handsets.

—Social Features For iPhone Games: Now that the iPhone app store is becoming crowded developers are seeking ways to distinguish their wares, and social features are an obvious way of doing that. Several companies are setting up services which let other developers add social elements to their games, reports VentureBeat. Perhaps the best opportunity is from Aurora Feint VentureBeat. It has a feature called One Touch iPromote, which lets players gather in lobbies for specific categories “where they can see who is playing a game, discuss the game with fellow fans, and make a purchase on the App Store via a single click”. Several companies have signed up, so there are cross-promotional benefits.

—Gambling Deal In UK: MFuse has signed up Probability to be the first to use its payments platform for mobile gambling. Probability recently signed a deal with TV show producer Fremantle to “develop slot machine games based on some of its programmes including the X Factor and the Price is Right. It markets its games direct to consumers through the Ladyluck brand, which has more than 400,000 UK users” reports The Guardian.

—Today Show On iPhone: Todayshow.com (of the morning news program) has launched a free iPhone application which delivers videos, top stories and photos from popular Today topics, as well as interviews and features on health, food and wine, entertainment, relationships and fashion. Zumobi developed it.

—Marketing Apps: The New York Times has a story about the man behind the iPhone app RunKeeper, who will advertise his service by running the Boston Marathon in a giant iPhone costume.

]]> Mobile Content Bits: CBS On iPhone; Mobile E-Books; AIM; Playboy tag:contentnext.com,2009-02-27:article/419-mobile-content-bits-090226 2009-02-27T00:50:31Z 2009-02-27T06:58:32Z James Quintana Pearce http://moconews.net/member/36/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2009, mocoNews —CBS (NYSE: CBS) On IPhone: CBS has released an iPhone application for its TV.com site that plays full episodes of TV series, including CSI and Star Trek. Notes the NYT Bits blog: “The TV.com application appears to be the first with a lot of mainstream network content that can watch full episodes over both the cellular network and WiFi. My test watching Spock confront a strange cube like object in space, was perfectly acceptable quality while riding on the bus in New Jersey.”

—Mobile eBook Service: Canadian book retailer Indigo Books & Music has launched an ebook service for mobile handsets including the BlackBerry Curve, Bold, Storm, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Android devices and the Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) iPhone. It will cover books, magazines and blogs and allow free samples, plus the ability to purchase a chapter or excerpt from 99 cents. The full books include titles from major publishers (including Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and Random House) with the cost ranging from $4.99 to $19.99, reports Digital Trends. It also plans to add free public domain books to the service.

—AIM Improvements: AOL (NYSE: TWX) has improved some features on its instant messaging platform on the iPhone. It uses SMS notifications to ping you when you have new IMs, lets you send free SMS texts to anyone in the iPhone contact list, and has multiple account support and location awareness so you can see your contacts in a new group called “near me”. It’s also splitting into a paid version and an ad-supported version. (Gizmodo)

—Playboy (NYSE: PLA) Signs New Mobile Deal: Playboy has signed a deal with Fonestarz which will see its content on 21 operator decks. The content will include video, wallpapers, animations, themes and audio, and appear on the operator portals managed by FoneStarz in 9 countries, including the UK and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. (mobile entertainment)

]]> —CBS (NYSE: CBS) On IPhone: CBS has released an iPhone application for its TV.com site that plays full episodes of TV series, including CSI and Star Trek. Notes the NYT Bits blog: “The TV.com application appears to be the first with a lot of mainstream network content that can watch full episodes over both the cellular network and WiFi. My test watching Spock confront a strange cube like object in space, was perfectly acceptable quality while riding on the bus in New Jersey.”

—Mobile eBook Service: Canadian book retailer Indigo Books & Music has launched an ebook service for mobile handsets including the BlackBerry Curve, Bold, Storm, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Android devices and the Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) iPhone. It will cover books, magazines and blogs and allow free samples, plus the ability to purchase a chapter or excerpt from 99 cents. The full books include titles from major publishers (including Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and Random House) with the cost ranging from $4.99 to $19.99, reports Digital Trends. It also plans to add free public domain books to the service.

—AIM Improvements: AOL (NYSE: TWX) has improved some features on its instant messaging platform on the iPhone. It uses SMS notifications to ping you when you have new IMs, lets you send free SMS texts to anyone in the iPhone contact list, and has multiple account support and location awareness so you can see your contacts in a new group called “near me”. It’s also splitting into a paid version and an ad-supported version. (Gizmodo)

—Playboy (NYSE: PLA) Signs New Mobile Deal: Playboy has signed a deal with Fonestarz which will see its content on 21 operator decks. The content will include video, wallpapers, animations, themes and audio, and appear on the operator portals managed by FoneStarz in 9 countries, including the UK and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. (mobile entertainment)

]]> China To Extend Digital Smut Crackdown To Mobile tag:contentnext.com,2009-01-21:article/419-china-to-extend-digital-smut-crackdown-to-mobile 2009-01-21T19:31:56Z 2009-01-21T21:09:57Z James Quintana Pearce http://moconews.net/member/36/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2009, mocoNews China has announced it will extend its recent crackdown on online smut (which saw search engines like Google and Baidu criticized) to mobile phones. “We will incorporate ‘lewd’ messages spread via mobile phones into the crackdown,” the report quoted a joint notice from the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Culture and five other government offices saying, according to Reuters.

It doesn’t say how the messages will be discovered—whether during transmission or by searching handsets—or precisely what the definition of “lewd” will be between married couples. Juniper Research recently predicted that the global adult content market would grow from $2.2 billion in 2008 to $4.9 billion by 2013, with China & Far East remaining the second biggest market with revenues predicted to grow to about a billion dollars.

]]> China has announced it will extend its recent crackdown on online smut (which saw search engines like Google and Baidu criticized) to mobile phones. “We will incorporate ‘lewd’ messages spread via mobile phones into the crackdown,” the report quoted a joint notice from the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Culture and five other government offices saying, according to Reuters.

It doesn’t say how the messages will be discovered—whether during transmission or by searching handsets—or precisely what the definition of “lewd” will be between married couples. Juniper Research recently predicted that the global adult content market would grow from $2.2 billion in 2008 to $4.9 billion by 2013, with China & Far East remaining the second biggest market with revenues predicted to grow to about a billion dollars.

Related

]]> Mobile Content Bits: iPhone App Business; Audio Books; Hasbro Gambling; Ad Growth; 3G Picking Up tag:contentnext.com,2009-01-15:article/419-mobile-content-bits-150109 2009-01-15T21:49:00Z 2009-01-16T20:29:01Z James Quintana Pearce http://moconews.net/member/36/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2009, mocoNews image—Apple App Store Problems: There’s been a couple of stories about problems with selling stuff on the iTunes App Store, although I don’t think they are specific to that distribution channel. For example, James Bossert was happy that his Whack ‘em All iPhone game had 400 new users in one day last week, but that changed when he found that only 12 people had paid 99c for the game—the rest were using a cracked version. I think the person who cracked and released the game had some pretty spurious arguments for what he did (if the apps are crap, why bother cracking them?) but rather than squeal Bossert decided to try try putting ads in his game reports CNet, no verdict on whether it works, but we’ll see.

Meanwhile, CrunchGear has a story about Runkeeper, which had to be offered free for a day so as not to upset current users when the developer upgraded the license. Seems like a limited issue, but still. Finally, Offerpal is coming to the iPhone in the next few weeks, which should give another way to monetize applications. MobileCrunch writes: “Offerpal Media thinks they’ve found the answer to monetizing iPhone applications. Built around the same system they have in place for development on Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, and a number of other platforms, end users are able to participate in a variety of offers (from online surveys to product trials) in exchange for virtual currency. Users spend this currency on in-app goods, and the developers get paid.”

The rest is after the jump...

]]> image—Apple App Store Problems: There’s been a couple of stories about problems with selling stuff on the iTunes App Store, although I don’t think they are specific to that distribution channel. For example, James Bossert was happy that his Whack ‘em All iPhone game had 400 new users in one day last week, but that changed when he found that only 12 people had paid 99c for the game—the rest were using a cracked version. I think the person who cracked and released the game had some pretty spurious arguments for what he did (if the apps are crap, why bother cracking them?) but rather than squeal Bossert decided to try try putting ads in his game reports CNet, no verdict on whether it works, but we’ll see.

Meanwhile, CrunchGear has a story about Runkeeper, which had to be offered free for a day so as not to upset current users when the developer upgraded the license. Seems like a limited issue, but still. Finally, Offerpal is coming to the iPhone in the next few weeks, which should give another way to monetize applications. MobileCrunch writes: “Offerpal Media thinks they’ve found the answer to monetizing iPhone applications. Built around the same system they have in place for development on Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, and a number of other platforms, end users are able to participate in a variety of offers (from online surveys to product trials) in exchange for virtual currency. Users spend this currency on in-app goods, and the developers get paid.”

The rest is after the jump...

—Spoken Books On 3UK: Audiobook-for-mobile company GoSpoken has signed a deal with 3UK to offer its books in text or audio format, with prices ranging from 5-10 pounds (US$7.50 to $15) or in parts for a cheaper price. There are more than 1,000 titles on offer, including a dozen military novels by Andy McNab (founder of GoSpoken) as well as books from Stephen King, Ian McEwan and Patricia Cornwell. (Guardian)

—Hasbro Gambling: Hasbro has licensed four of its games to Probability, a London-based mobile gambling company which will now create “cash games” based on Subbuteo, Trivial Pursuit, Connect Four and Battleship. (iGamingBusiness)

—BuzzCity Sees Strong Ads Growth: Singapore-based mobile ad companyBuzzCity has released some figures showing good growth in its business. Indonesia is its strongest market, doubling in the fourth quarter to 3.6 billion banners served, but its United States business also grew 47 percent to 382 million. It’s a single company so not much can be made of its figures, but it does support claims from Admob that the market is increasing. (VentureBeat)

—3G Penetration Picking Up: The base of WCDMA 3G subscribers more than doubled during both 2006 and 2007, and by June 2008 there were more than 235 million WCDMA subscribers, a 6.4 percent penetration of worldwide mobile subscribers and 11 percent if only WCDMA markets are considered. There were about 100 million EVDO subscribers. (Reportlinker)

]]> Report: Mobile Adult Content To Hit $4.9 Billion By 2013 tag:contentnext.com,2009-01-08:article/419-mobile-adult-content-to-hit-4.9-billion-by-2013-report 2009-01-08T22:39:49Z 2009-01-08T23:12:50Z James Quintana Pearce http://moconews.net/member/36/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2009, mocoNews Juniper Research has lowered its forecast for adult mobile service revenues in 2008 to $2.2 billion, 3.5 percent lower than the analyst had previously forecast. Before you go supporting Larry Flynt and Joe Francis in their request for a porn-industry bail-out the market was $1.62 billion in 2007, so still grew at an estimated 36 percent according to Juniper. The analyst predicts that the worldwide mobile adult market will hit $4.9 billion by 2013, with a large increase coming from video chat services which are predicted to surpass $1 billion in 2011, with low penetration being offset by high spending levels—in many markets averaging several hundred dollars per user per annum. Some countries such as Indonesia and Switzerland are tightening laws governing adult content, but in Europe and Latin America it’s becoming far more prevalent. Western Europe will remain the biggest market, followed by the Far East.

]]> Juniper Research has lowered its forecast for adult mobile service revenues in 2008 to $2.2 billion, 3.5 percent lower than the analyst had previously forecast. Before you go supporting Larry Flynt and Joe Francis in their request for a porn-industry bail-out the market was $1.62 billion in 2007, so still grew at an estimated 36 percent according to Juniper. The analyst predicts that the worldwide mobile adult market will hit $4.9 billion by 2013, with a large increase coming from video chat services which are predicted to surpass $1 billion in 2011, with low penetration being offset by high spending levels—in many markets averaging several hundred dollars per user per annum. Some countries such as Indonesia and Switzerland are tightening laws governing adult content, but in Europe and Latin America it’s becoming far more prevalent. Western Europe will remain the biggest market, followed by the Far East.

]]> Sky To Launch Mobile Betting In UK tag:contentnext.com,2009-01-06:article/419-sky-to-launch-mobile-betting-in-uk 2009-01-06T22:45:39Z 2009-01-07T17:07:40Z James Quintana Pearce http://moconews.net/member/36/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2009, mocoNews UK pay TV giant Sky is readying plans to offer Sky Bet as a mobile service, which will be an extension of the companies existing online, interactive TV and telephone betting services. The service is set to launch later this month. BSkyB (NYSE: BSY) (which owns Sky and Sky Bet) is partnering with mkodo to roll out the service reports Mobile Entertainment—mkodo already provides managed services to BBC, Turner Broadcasting and Rank Interactive (Blue Square). Back in September Sky signed with mfuse to run the service—that appears to have been called off mFuse are developing the Java version of the site and mKodo the WAP version.

]]> UK pay TV giant Sky is readying plans to offer Sky Bet as a mobile service, which will be an extension of the companies existing online, interactive TV and telephone betting services. The service is set to launch later this month. BSkyB (NYSE: BSY) (which owns Sky and Sky Bet) is partnering with mkodo to roll out the service reports Mobile Entertainment—mkodo already provides managed services to BBC, Turner Broadcasting and Rank Interactive (Blue Square). Back in September Sky signed with mfuse to run the service—that appears to have been called off mFuse are developing the Java version of the site and mKodo the WAP version.

Related

]]> Christie Hefner Out As Playboy Chairman, Will Leave CEO And Board Posts As Well; Street Cheers tag:contentnext.com,2008-12-08:article/419-breaking-news-christie-hefner-out-as-playboy-chairman-will-leave-ceo-an 2008-12-08T13:05:03Z 2008-12-08T20:10:04Z Staci D. Kramer http://moconews.net/member/3/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2008, mocoNews imageUpdate: Wall Street is cheering this news in a big way: the stock has been up around 17 percent in mid-day trading.

Christie Hefner, CEO of Playboy Enterprises (NYSE: PLA) for the last two decades, is leaving the family business, stepping down as chairman today and as CEO Jan. 31, 2009. It looks like a complete break: she will leave the board when a new CEO is found. Effective immediately, board member Jerome Kern becomes interim non-executive chairman of the board. Release

David adds: The announcement was made a day before Hefner, whose father Hugh founded the company in 1953 and remains chief creative officer, was to address investors at the UBS Global Media and Communications conference. In a statement, the elder Hefner said: “I asked Christie to step up as president when the company faced serious financial difficulties more than two decades ago. She has worked tirelessly to expand the company’s franchise, and, as a result of her efforts, the company today has more consumers and fans than at any time in our history. Of course, as her father, my first priority is Christie’s happiness. While I will miss her leadership here, I believe that she will go on to achieve even greater personal success.”

Even before the economy worsened considerably this fall, Playboy has been struggling financially for some time. It posted another net loss in Q3, with losses totaling $1.1 million ($0.04 per share) compared with last year’s $2.6 million ($0.08 per share). During the past two earnings calls, Hefner heavily promoted Playboy’s website relaunch as a key part in its turnaround. The website would serve as the “glue” holding media, events, retail together. Aside from that, the Chicago-based magazine and entertainment company has cut 140 jobs this past year.

Rafat adds: From SEC filings, the details of her payout compensation if she were to leave the company:
—Termination for cause: $2,232,159
—Termination without cause by Playboy: $ 3,180,236
—Voluntary termination: $2,287,928
—Termination following change of control: $7,564,691
The amounts also include the following severance payments: 68 weeks base salary for Ms. Hefner (pursuant to our termination policy), the SEC filing says.

]]> imageUpdate: Wall Street is cheering this news in a big way: the stock has been up around 17 percent in mid-day trading.

Christie Hefner, CEO of Playboy Enterprises (NYSE: PLA) for the last two decades, is leaving the family business, stepping down as chairman today and as CEO Jan. 31, 2009. It looks like a complete break: she will leave the board when a new CEO is found. Effective immediately, board member Jerome Kern becomes interim non-executive chairman of the board. Release

David adds: The announcement was made a day before Hefner, whose father Hugh founded the company in 1953 and remains chief creative officer, was to address investors at the UBS Global Media and Communications conference. In a statement, the elder Hefner said: “I asked Christie to step up as president when the company faced serious financial difficulties more than two decades ago. She has worked tirelessly to expand the company’s franchise, and, as a result of her efforts, the company today has more consumers and fans than at any time in our history. Of course, as her father, my first priority is Christie’s happiness. While I will miss her leadership here, I believe that she will go on to achieve even greater personal success.”

Even before the economy worsened considerably this fall, Playboy has been struggling financially for some time. It posted another net loss in Q3, with losses totaling $1.1 million ($0.04 per share) compared with last year’s $2.6 million ($0.08 per share). During the past two earnings calls, Hefner heavily promoted Playboy’s website relaunch as a key part in its turnaround. The website would serve as the “glue” holding media, events, retail together. Aside from that, the Chicago-based magazine and entertainment company has cut 140 jobs this past year.

Rafat adds: From SEC filings, the details of her payout compensation if she were to leave the company:
—Termination for cause: $2,232,159
—Termination without cause by Playboy: $ 3,180,236
—Voluntary termination: $2,287,928
—Termination following change of control: $7,564,691
The amounts also include the following severance payments: 68 weeks base salary for Ms. Hefner (pursuant to our termination policy), the SEC filing says.

Related

]]> Adult Mobile Content: Ad-Supported Videos, French Publisher Deal tag:contentnext.com,2008-10-22:article/419-adult-mobile-content-ad-supported-videos-french-publisher-deal 2008-10-22T16:06:35Z 2008-10-27T19:32:36Z Robert Andrews http://moconews.net/member/47/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2008, mocoNews As many online publishers have answered the “premium or free?” question by dropping pay walls for ad support, one of the few areas left strictly pay-for - aside from business news - has been adult content. But could that be about to change? London-based Mobile Streams - better known for its Ringtones.com, MobileComedy.mobi, MobileGamer.mobi and MobileWallpapers.mobi portals - has launched Prontube.mobi, a “solely advertising-funded” adult video site for mobile.

Where usually this kind of stuff is billable by operators (and, yes, some operators do carry this kind of content), Prontube.mobi’s vids are free. Mobile Streams CEO Simon Buckingham said ad funding had become so important to mobile content that the company has upgraded its publishing systems to offer ad support. Banners on the service so far are for what can best be described a dating service. Release.

Another adult publisher targeting mobile is Private Media Group, the first such to list on Nasdaq. The multimedia group, started in Stockholm and based in Nevada, has signed a mobile deal with French magazine publisher and new media group 1633 Publishing, which, over the years, has published the likes of Playboy (NYSE: PLA), Maxim and Penthouse on license in France. 1633 gains rights to distribute Private’s adult videos through operator portals as well as its own network, which includes Playboy and others; the deal covers France, Belgium and Romania. 1633 in recent years has concentrated on taking its adult magazine portfolio on to web and mobile. Release.

 

]]> As many online publishers have answered the “premium or free?” question by dropping pay walls for ad support, one of the few areas left strictly pay-for - aside from business news - has been adult content. But could that be about to change? London-based Mobile Streams - better known for its Ringtones.com, MobileComedy.mobi, MobileGamer.mobi and MobileWallpapers.mobi portals - has launched Prontube.mobi, a “solely advertising-funded” adult video site for mobile.

Where usually this kind of stuff is billable by operators (and, yes, some operators do carry this kind of content), Prontube.mobi’s vids are free. Mobile Streams CEO Simon Buckingham said ad funding had become so important to mobile content that the company has upgraded its publishing systems to offer ad support. Banners on the service so far are for what can best be described a dating service. Release.

Another adult publisher targeting mobile is Private Media Group, the first such to list on Nasdaq. The multimedia group, started in Stockholm and based in Nevada, has signed a mobile deal with French magazine publisher and new media group 1633 Publishing, which, over the years, has published the likes of Playboy (NYSE: PLA), Maxim and Penthouse on license in France. 1633 gains rights to distribute Private’s adult videos through operator portals as well as its own network, which includes Playboy and others; the deal covers France, Belgium and Romania. 1633 in recent years has concentrated on taking its adult magazine portfolio on to web and mobile. Release.

 

]]> CBS Pulls Adult-Oriented Content From Citizen Journalism iPhone App tag:contentnext.com,2008-10-01:article/419-cbs-pulls-ad-ult-oriented-content-from-eyemobile 2008-10-01T17:37:59Z 2008-10-01T21:42:59Z Matt Kapko http://moconews.net/member/64/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2008, mocoNews CBS’s citizen journalism efforts aren’t getting press for the reasons the network would like ... instead, there’s more news today about how even adult-oriented content is making its way onto the newly launched iPhone app, AdAge reports. “A visit to CBSeyemobile.com turns up a few photos that walk the line of not-safe-for-work, a jarring juxtaposition with CBS’s storied news brand.” We saw this coming last month when CBS (NYSE: CBS) launched the iPhone app for the months-old site, and reported that there were ridiculous photos that belonged on Flickr, not a citizen journalism site. Now it’s escalated to a photo of a young woman bent over her kitchen stove with her skirt hiked up and video of three women performing sexual acts on one another. CBS has a moderator, but either they have too much content to sift through or the system doesn’t work. A spokesperson told AdAge: “We’ve been posting user-generated content since April, and this is the first known incident along these lines. It was removed promptly and we will redouble our efforts in this regard.”

]]> CBS’s citizen journalism efforts aren’t getting press for the reasons the network would like ... instead, there’s more news today about how even adult-oriented content is making its way onto the newly launched iPhone app, AdAge reports. “A visit to CBSeyemobile.com turns up a few photos that walk the line of not-safe-for-work, a jarring juxtaposition with CBS’s storied news brand.” We saw this coming last month when CBS (NYSE: CBS) launched the iPhone app for the months-old site, and reported that there were ridiculous photos that belonged on Flickr, not a citizen journalism site. Now it’s escalated to a photo of a young woman bent over her kitchen stove with her skirt hiked up and video of three women performing sexual acts on one another. CBS has a moderator, but either they have too much content to sift through or the system doesn’t work. A spokesperson told AdAge: “We’ve been posting user-generated content since April, and this is the first known incident along these lines. It was removed promptly and we will redouble our efforts in this regard.”

Related

]]> Worldwide Mobile Game Revenues Will Likely Hit $4.5 Billion This Year: Report tag:contentnext.com,2008-06-26:article/419-mobile-games-lag-behind-other-content-but-will-likely-hit-45-billion-in 2008-06-26T00:22:00Z 2008-06-26T03:40:12Z Tricia Duryee http://moconews.net/member/55/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2008, mocoNews Worldwide mobile gaming revenues are on pace to hit $4.5 billion in 2008, representing a 16.1 percent increase over last year, according to Gartner. The industry has struggled a bit over the last few years to hit its stride—and hasn’t seen the kinds of increases that other content has—such as music and adult content—but Gartner said it remains full of potential because it crosses all sub-segments from lower-income consumers to business users with high-end smartphones. It can also be seen in emerging markets as a viable alternative to PC and console games. It’s no surprise that Asia is currently the leading market for mobile games, but an interesting tidbit that Gartner is reporting is that North America will pull ahead of Western Europe over the next few years and be a larger market as Americans adopt more data services in general. Release.

Highlights from the report after the jump...

]]> Worldwide mobile gaming revenues are on pace to hit $4.5 billion in 2008, representing a 16.1 percent increase over last year, according to Gartner. The industry has struggled a bit over the last few years to hit its stride—and hasn’t seen the kinds of increases that other content has—such as music and adult content—but Gartner said it remains full of potential because it crosses all sub-segments from lower-income consumers to business users with high-end smartphones. It can also be seen in emerging markets as a viable alternative to PC and console games. It’s no surprise that Asia is currently the leading market for mobile games, but an interesting tidbit that Gartner is reporting is that North America will pull ahead of Western Europe over the next few years and be a larger market as Americans adopt more data services in general. Release.

Highlights from the report after the jump...

—Revenue growth: Mobile game revenues will grow at a compound annual rate of 10.2 percent between 2007 and 2011 with worldwide user spending reaching $6.3 billion in 2011.

—Low-end and high-end: Mobile operators and other game providers can increase usage if they offer offer games based on the type of user. For instance, operators should target smartphone users with sophisticated games, and low-income people with discounted or ad-subsidized games, or an offering such as ‘pay per game.’

—Asia is big opportunity: The Asia/Pacific region, including Japan, is the largest market for mobile gaming, with users expected to spend $2.3 billion in 2008 and $3.4 billion by 2011.Some emerging markets see mobile games as an imperfect substitute for PC or console games. India is expected to lead among Asian countries going forward with revenues expected to reach $450 million by 2012, up from $80 million in 2007.

—Europe vs. N. America: In Western Europe, mobile game revenues are expected to grow to $862 million by 2011 from $701 million in 2008, compared to in North American, where the market is projected to grow to $1.2 billion in 2011 from $845 million in 2008.

]]> Mobile Content Bits: Palringo-RIM; Viva Vision; MSNYuuZoo; Hello Kitty Portal; Duke's Sticky Notes tag:contentnext.com,2008-06-19:article/419-mobile-content-bits-palringo-rim 2008-06-19T17:55:00Z 2008-06-19T20:52:13Z Dianne See Morrison http://moconews.net/member/53/ mocoNews http://moconews.net/ Copyright (c) 2008, mocoNews —  Palringo Available On RIM (NSDQ: RIMM) Devices: Mobile instant messaging company Palringo has released its software client for BlackBerry smartphones. The firm’s Rich Messaging Service is now available for free for the Pearl, Curve, and 8800 series. The service is also compatible with Windows Mobile, Symbian and Java-based clients, including devices from Nokia (NYSE: NOK), Motorola (NYSE: MOT), LG (SEO: 066570), Samsung, HTC and Sony (NYSE: SNE) Ericsson.

— VivaVision To Produce SI Slideshow: Mobile video and entertainment firm Viva Vision has struck a strategic partnership with the Sports Illustrated Group to produce the SI Swimsuit slideshow, which will be available in various wireless markets mid-summer.

— YuuZoo Partners With MSN: YuuZoo, a mobile content, media and advertising network, said it will develop, host, and maintain a mobile-content site with Microsoft’s (NSDQ: MSFT) MSN called MSNYuuZoo in several Asian markets, including CHina and India, and will cover more than 1 billion mobile users. MSN will provide placements across its network to promote YuuZoo content and both partners will work together on integration in key content areas, including editorial placements. Ads will be placed on the MSN Homepage, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Spaces and Windows Live Hotmail. Release.

— Maxis Launches Hello Kitty portal: Maxis Communications said it is launching a Hello Kitty and Friends mobile content portal, where fans can download more than 80 pieces of Hello Kitty content such as wallpapers, videos, mobisodes and polyphonic ringtones. Along with the portal, Maxis also launched a Mobile Fun Club to offer special discounts on mobile downloads as well as ­limited edition content.

— Duke University Unveils Mobile Sticky Notes: Duke announced today that it has been working on a location-based social networking application, which they call “virtual sticky notes.” The software lets people obtain information about locations from other mobile phone users around the world. If you want to know what traffic is like, you should be able to tap into the sensors of people’s phone while they are driving. The concept is also called a micro-blog, which is a similar concept to Wikipedia, where people upload their own content from their phones. For instance, you can pull down information about a restaurant, or about art in a museum. Currently, there’s a working prototype for the Nokia N95 mobile phone, but the application will be ported to other phones.

]]> —  Palringo Available On RIM (NSDQ: RIMM) Devices: Mobile instant messaging company Palringo has released its software client for BlackBerry smartphones. The firm’s Rich Messaging Service is now available for free for the Pearl, Curve, and 8800 series. The service is also compatible with Windows Mobile, Symbian and Java-based clients, including devices from Nokia (NYSE: NOK), Motorola (NYSE: MOT), LG (SEO: 066570), Samsung, HTC and Sony (NYSE: SNE) Ericsson.

— VivaVision To Produce SI Slideshow: Mobile video and entertainment firm Viva Vision has struck a strategic partnership with the Sports Illustrated Group to produce the SI Swimsuit slideshow, which will be available in various wireless markets mid-summer.

— YuuZoo Partners With MSN: YuuZoo, a mobile content, media and advertising network, said it will develop, host, and maintain a mobile-content site with Microsoft’s (NSDQ: MSFT) MSN called MSNYuuZoo in several Asian markets, including CHina and India, and will cover more than 1 billion mobile users. MSN will provide placements across its network to promote YuuZoo content and both partners will work together on integration in key content areas, including editorial placements. Ads will be placed on the MSN Homepage, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Spaces and Windows Live Hotmail. Release.

— Maxis Launches Hello Kitty portal: Maxis Communications said it is launching a Hello Kitty and Friends mobile content portal, where fans can download more than 80 pieces of Hello Kitty content such as wallpapers, videos, mobisodes and polyphonic ringtones. Along with the portal, Maxis also launched a Mobile Fun Club to offer special discounts on mobile downloads as well as ­limited edition content.

— Duke University Unveils Mobile Sticky Notes: Duke announced today that it has been working on a location-based social networking application, which they call “virtual sticky notes.” The software lets people obtain information about locations from other mobile phone users around the world. If you want to know what traffic is like, you should be able to tap into the sensors of people’s phone while they are driving. The concept is also called a micro-blog, which is a similar concept to Wikipedia, where people upload their own content from their phones. For instance, you can pull down information about a restaurant, or about art in a museum. Currently, there’s a working prototype for the Nokia N95 mobile phone, but the application will be ported to other phones.

]]>