Smart TXTBKS: Cannes Mobile Lions 2013 Grand Prix: brilliant example of m-learning from Philippines that works on all handsets

Smart TXTBKS is a project in the Philippines to put school text books onto old SIM cards, using SMS messaging, and it works on any phone, however lowly and however ancient. It is momentous that Cannes Lions, a celebration of the world of advertising, should honor such a worthy, long-term and inclusive mobile initiative.

Here is the video case study for Smart TXTBKS, that accompanied the submission from the Philippines-based mobile operator Smart Communications and DDB agency DM9 JaymeSyfu:

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Google search to punish mobile Web bad practice, including those irritating download-our-app interstitial ads

“To improve the search experience for smartphone users and address their pain points, we plan to roll out several ranking changes in the near future that address sites that are misconfigured for smartphone users” – Google Webmaster Central Blog.

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Mobile payments will surpass $235 Billion in 2013 (Gartner); NFC still disappointingly small, despite the hype

Gartner predicts that 245.2 million people will make a mobile payment in 2013 (an increase of 22.1 percent from 2012), making global mobile payments worth US$235.4 billion (up 44 percent from last year). But only 2 percent of transactions will be powered by near-field communications (NFC) – i.e. tap-and-go contactless payments – despite all the media hype about this technology.

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65 percent of US smartphone shoppers prefer to use mobile Web to mobile apps for shopping. Is that shocking? It shouldn’t be.

A recent survey by Google of 1,500 smartphone shoppers (i.e. smartphone users who used their devices for shopping purposes) in the US, found the majority preferred to use mobile Web above mobile apps when researching products and prices in-store.

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How greedy is your app – does it drain batteries or gobble data? Test it before you’re named and shamed

Badly- and inconsiderately-built native apps are increasingly attracting criticism for draining battery life, sapping too much of the user’s data allowance and clogging operators’ networks. Enthusiastic amateur developers with little or no mobile experience are often blamed, but ignorance is only part of the story.

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Websites must be mobile-friendly to comply with FTC’s new digital advertising guidelines

Last month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) updated its digital advertising guidelines to underline the fact that the same rules apply to mobile advertising, sites and apps as online (and offline). No big surprise, since the FTC has already taken action against several mobile publishers for deceptive advertising. What is really interesting is that the FTC places an obligation on Webmasters of PC sites and PC advertisers to ensure that any disclosures relating to sign-ups, purchases etc. must be explicit, obvious and readable, even if the viewing device is mobile and has a small screen.

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Knowledge is power: what do advertisers want from mobile?

mobiThinking was recently asked: What kind of information do advertisers (brands and agencies) want from mobile? It’s a common question. There’s not much in the way of research on the matter, so the following is opinion. We’d like to hear from you on the matter.

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One third of digital consumption in the US is mobile – who is profiting?

In the US one third of digital consumption is via a mobile. According to comScore’s Mobile future in focus report on the US market, 37 percent of digital media minutes is via a mobile device, 63 percent is desktop.

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Some light mobile-Web-related entertainment from quirky Qualcomm

Qualcomm has followed up its surreal CES 2013 keynote with a video demonstrating – in an extreme way – how adding mobile Web URL to a billboard poster can engage people waiting at a bus stop.

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