Q&A: Gerrard Dennis of Simply Group on e-commerce
The Simply Group operates seven e-commerce sites in the UK, from SimplyScuba, to the recently relaunched SimplyBeach.
I've been talking to founder Gerrard Dennis about the challenges if running seven separate sites...
Are middlemen a luxury, or necessity?
Joe Hewitt is the Facebook employee responsible for the super-popular Facebook iPhone app. But thanks to Apple, he's decided to move on.
On Twitter, he announced that he "handed the Facebook iPhone app off to another engineer". Soon after, he revealed the reason why: the tyranny of Apple.
Mobile news sites: best practice tips
Most of the UK's newspapers now have mobile versions of their websites, but many could provide a better range of content and user experience.
Here are some best practice tips for mobile newspaper sites...
Is NDA culture hurting developers?
Ars Technica has an interesting post revealing some sordid tales from the world of iPhone development. The tales center on iPhone app developers who claim to have developed apps that they really didn't develop. And they're getting away with it because of an NDA culture that permeates much of the development world.
NDAs, or non-disclosure agreements, of course, are those pesky little agreements that you've probably asked been asked to sign a million times if you work in the world of technology. In some markets, just about everyone asks that an NDA be signed for the smallest of things. Sometimes I half expect to be asked to sign an NDA if I ask where the bathroom is when working on-site with a client.
There's a lawyer for that: AT&T sues Verizon over new commercials
Telecom giant AT&T may be more than happy to partner with Apple, who makes fun of its top competitor daily with the now infamous Mac vs. PC ads, but the company is a little thin skinned when it comes to getting mentioned in its competitor's ads.
Today AT&T sued Verizon over the company's "There's a map for that" Droid ads. AT&T is asking for unspecified damages and a temporary restraining order to keep Verizon from running the ads, which say that AT&T customers are "out of touch" in places that do not have 3G capabilities.
Unfortunately for AT&T, the allegations aren't off base.
Pizza Hut iPhone app generates an extra $1m sales
Another example of the potential of mobile commerce comes from Pizza Hut, with its iPhone app generating $1m in sales in the three months since launch.
The app, which allows customers to order food on the move, is approaching the figure of 1m downloads. It is only available in the US at the moment.
Google's iPhone Killer doesn't need to kill anyone to succeed
In the war against the Jesus phone, Motorola has a new contender. The cellphone provider has manufactured the latest Google phone, set to hit Verizon stores next week. Droid ads take on AT&T's iPhone directly, explaining functionality the iPhone does not have and what Droid does right, making it look like Verizon's trying to make a big play for the iPhone's business.
But Droid doesn't have to knock the iPhone off its popularity pedestal to pay off for Verizon, Motorola or Google. It just has to do better than the rest of the competition.
App review: thetrainline for iPhone
Rail ticket retailer thetrainline has just released a new free iPhone app, which allows users to check UK train timetables and plan journeys.
With the only competition being the Rail Enquiries iPhone app, which retails at £4.99, then it could be a popular app. I've been taking a closer look...
Mobile app review: Amazon
Online retail behemoth Amazon launched the UK version of its iPhone app this week, allowing users to search and shop from their mobiles.
I've been trying out the Amazon mobile app...
iPhone moms are waiting for the right marketers
Mothers of young children are a rapidly growing segment of the smartphone population, and considering how important the demographic is in household purchasing decisions, marketers should take note of how they're using their phones and the mobile space generally.
According to mobile ad network Greystripe, “iPhone moms” (female iPhone owners with young children) use mobile media more than other iPhone users. But from previous studies, we know that moms also don't take to iPhone ads. What's a marketer to do?
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Web 2.0
Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
