Mobile phone users are on the rise

According to comScore, there are 228 million mobile phone users, and data plan subscriptions are on the rise. Subscriptions are up 37% from last year, with 37.8 million users now subscribing to data plans. Unlimited data plans, those without restrictions to Internet access, account for nearly all of that growth, rising 47.4% from 2007.

But what about local search
People in the mobile industry predict smartphones will dominate by 2014. But what will happen in the interim with mobile local search?
Like other advertising supported services, free directory assistance services offer callers a toll-free number to reach an automated system. They then can ask for a particular business or ask for business recommendations by a location in a city. At the outset, the system plays an advertisement, and there can be other ads later in the call. The system can also provide details to the caller’s wireless phone via text messages.

For those trying to reach mobile users who haven’t upgraded to smartphones, marketing with free directory assistance seems the smart way to go.

ARM to show Google phone prototype next week

Source Says: ARM to show Google phone prototype next week

British chip designer ARM will show a prototype mobile phone based on Google's Android platform next Monday at the Mobile world congress wireless show in Barcelona, a source close to the company said today.

Google and ARM declined to comment on the report.

Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile and Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC) have said that they plan to offer phones based on the open-source Android software platform this year.

Internet search leader Google may upset the wireless industry with its software system designed to make the Web as smoothly accessible from mobile devices as from PCs, challenging Nokia, Microsoft and Apple.

It is also bidding for wireless spectrum in the U.S. in a move that pits it against entrenched carriers like AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

Its operator partners in the Open Handset Alliance announced in November include China Mobile, NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Telefonica -- which have all said that they are working with handset makers to develop Google-based phones.

Research firm Strategy Analytics has estimated that Android will be in 2% of smart phones this year.

From CMS System

The iGoogle for iPhone

Google has now launched the iGoogle for iPhone. The earlier version was launched just over a month ago and featured a suite of web applications...

including Search, Gmail, Calendar, Reader, etc " into a user friendly interface. The newer version is supposed to increase speeds and improve usability.

The New Features entail:

An Improved UI: The applications have gotten a face-lift and now look and feel more chic, in addition to their being easier to activate, navigate and be used via a touch-screen.

Customization of default tabs: There's now easier access to your favorite applications as you can customize the applications that show up on the Google.com menu bar. All you have to do is choose your favorite Google applications to bring them to the front menu, so they'll be just a click away whenever they're needed. Further you can even switch between applications with ease, as you only need to sign in once to access either of Gmail, Calendar, Reader, Docs or your Picasa account.

Faster Gmail: Two enhancements which ensure this are: First, the new emails will automatically appear so there's no need to manually refresh your inbox. Secondly, there's an auto-complete feature for contacts which would make composing emails a lot quicker.

Speedier Calendar: There's a new month view, which allows you to glance at an entire month of appointments.

iGoogle: You can now access your iGoogle gadgets on the iPhone. This includes each and everything you've customized on your iGoogle homepage including weather, stocks, and news feeds too would appear on your iPhones. You can customize your iGoogle page on your computer at www.igoogle.com.

From Internet Advertising and Online Annonsering

StraightUpSearch : Google's 2008 Mobile Initiatives

There is no doubt that Google has firmly set its eyes on increasing its presence in the mobile device market. Google has a number of projects currently running or in the works that deal directly with the mobile market. Here is a quick overview of what to look for in 2008.

From Internet Annonsering