This is just a rumor from a single source – from a Twitter tweet, no less. But, stranger things have happened (like Google buying Motorola Mobility). So, here goes… as reported by the Global Post. Eldar Murtazi, Mobile-Review.com, editor-in-chief Analyst, tweeted that Microsoft will buy Nokia’s smartphone division.
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My paper subscription to The Economist magazine just started. A quick check of its iPad app revealed that subscribers to the paper edition are able issues for free (normally $5.99 per issue). The digital magazine has a different navigation style compared to the two TIME Inc. magazines I’ve read (TIME and Entertainment Weekly). Its contents section is separate from its contents in that you cannot simply swipe out of the contents page into the first pages of the magazine. However, once you get to any particular article, the entire magazine is available without returning to the contents section.
The most interesting aspect of this magazine app, however, is that each of its articles has a downloadable audio reading associated with it. My initial guess was that it was some kind of text-to-speech system. However, this guess was wrong. Each article is read by a human being. There are a mix of female and male readers. And, each does a very good job reading each article. This is great for those times when you just want to lie back, close your eyes, and still be able to learn something new about the world.
Apple’s iPhone app catch phrase, there’s an app for that, will soon apply to the all-electric Ford Focus car too. Ford’s video demo embedded above demonstrates some of the app’s features. It works with the Ford SYNC technology built into the car itself.
The app will feature social networking components, charge station location information, navigation, remote control of the car (start, pre-warm, etc.), driving and braking profiles, and more.
Ford’s Manager for Product and Business Development – Ford Connected Services – Bill Frykman demonstrated the app on an iPhone. He noted during the demo that it would also be available for Android and BlackBerry too. I found it interesting that he did not mention support for Windows Phone too sinc the Ford SYNC technology in the Ford Focus (and other Ford cars) is based on Microsoft Windows Embedded.
Paul Thurrott, who has a good inside track to Microsoft’s Windows Phone team, said that the rumored $100M 2012 marketing budget for Windows Phone is way off.
Exclusive: Microsoft and Nokia’s Plans for Marketing Windows Phone in 2012
He says that he was told that the marketing budget for the U.S. alone is in the $200M range. Despite Thurrott’s general reliability of Microsoft related information, I’m still skeptical. It is not how much marketing money is spend, it is about how that marketing money is spent. Do you remember those Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates TV adds from 2008 to advertise… Well, I’m not sure what they were supposed to advertise. But, Seinfeld was reportedly paid $10M for two or three commercials that fizzled out.
According to Google’s Android Dashboard Platform Versions more than 40% of phone accessing the Android Market are using versions older than 2.3 (pre-Gingerbread). 55.5% are at version 2.3. A mere 0.6% are version 4.x (Ice Cream Sandwich) that was released late last year. Android devices have a hit or miss (mostly miss) track record for getting updated to the latest release. Part of the reason lies with hardware requirements. But, much of the delay (vs. not being updated at all because of hardware requirements) appears to be due to Android phone makers mucking about with the user interface by replacing it with their own. This, in part, explains why we see a huge percentage of devices running ancient versions of Android.
Google announced a move earlier today that aims to put a stop to it in an blog item simply titled.
I had to laugh when I read this subject line over at Betanews.
Windows Phone partners bet $100M on Nokia Ace
Why laugh? It is because it was so reminiscent of this rumor floated on TechCrunch in August 2010 shortly before Windows Phone launched.
Microsoft To Pay More Than Half A Billion Dollars To Jump-Start Windows Phone 7
So, what ever happened to this rumored half-billion dollar campaign? Not much as far as I can tell. We saw a couple of laughable un-smartphone commercials and not much else.
If you wonder what a $100M marketing campaign looks like, reflect back at what Verizon and Motorola did back in the fall of 2009. It consisted of a series of big budget movie quality alien landing themed TV commercials, paper advertisements everywhere and in-store promotions that left such an impression that many people refer to any Android phone as a “Droid” even today.