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Google to start punishing websites that force full-screen app install ads, IoT devices ripe for cyber attack, payments via social media drive mobile money transfer market to 13bn transactions this year plus all the week’s global mobile stories…

Each week the MEF team curates mobile stories from around the world. Essential news you may have missed, the latest market insight and data nuggets, the Global Mobile News Round-up offers an instant international mobile content and commerce snapshot.


 Global News Stories

Google is going to start punishing websites that force full-screen app install ads on your phone

Business Insider

Google has been making a serious effort to ensure websites are as mobile-friendly as they can possibly be.

In April, Google unleashed what was dubbed “Mobilegeddon” on website owners. Essentially, its algorithm started favoring mobile-friendly websites (ones with large text, easy-to-click-links, and pages that re-size to fit whatever screen they’re viewed on) and ranked them higher in its search results.

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IoT devices ripe for cyber attack but smartphones safe

V3

Rapid adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) devices means they are becoming an increasingly attractive target for cyber criminals, according to a report released by Intel Security’s McAfee Labs.

The McAfee Labs Threats Report August 2015 (PDF) reveals that IoT devices are just beginning to be exploited as adoption increases.

“The sheer volume of devices has grown faster than we foresaw, and into industries that we did not expect, creating a massive attack surface. So it is only a matter of time until IoT device threats are widespread,” it said.

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messenger-payments-630x472Payments via social media to drive mobile money transfer market to 13bn transactions this year

Money Market UK

The number of mobile money transfers is expected to increase by nearly 150% in 2015.

By Money MarketA new report from Juniper Research has found that the number of mobile money transfers is expected to increase by nearly 150 per cent in 2015 to more than 13 billion, with several social media firms already seeing a dramatic rise in service usage.

The new research, Mobile Money Transfer & Remittances: Domestic & International Markets 2015-2020 observed that with US social payment service Venmo now experiencing traffic worth nearly $1 billion per quarter, leading social media companies were now introducing their own services.

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China-games

China’s mobile gaming industry will surpass the U.S. as it grows to $5.5B this year

VentureBeat

China’s enormous population is giving it spending power that will outstrip even consumers in the United States this year in certain sectors — such as mobile gaming.

Smartphone and tablet games should generate more than $5.5 billion through the end of 2015, according to a new report from Asia market-intelligence firm Niko Partners. That is a huge chunk of the $30 billion that people spend on mobile gaming worldwide, and it is also a 66 percent year-over-year increase from $3.3 billion in Chinese spending last year. And this makes China a bigger spender on mobile gaming than the United States. Obviously, that kind of money has to look enticing to game developers around the world, and that’s where Niko comes in with its full 2015 Chinese Mobile Gaming Report.

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coworkingWorkers believe mobile connectivity has made life less stressful, Sprint survey finds

Fierce Mobile

Despite recent complaints about the impact of mobile technology on work/life balance, a new survey commissioned by Sprint and obtained by FierceMobileIT found that 44 percent of respondents said that believe that being constantly connected to their work via their mobile device has made life less stressful, not more.

The same percentage said that constant connectivity has increased their ability to balance their personal and professional lives, with 13 percent believing it has decreased their ability to maintain balance, and 43 percent claiming no discernible change, according to a survey of 1,045 U.S. adults conducted in May by Washington Square Research and released Tuesday by Sprint.

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India’s internet user base stands at 352 million; over 60 percent mobile web users

Tech 2

India has added 52 million Internet users in first six months of the year, taking the total user base to 352 million as on June 30, 2015, industry body IAMAI today said.

Interestingly, 213 million (over 60%) users accessed the worldwide web through mobile devices.

“Internet (in India) has reached an inflection point. The consolidated numbers affirm the fact that Internet in India has now become inclusive, which augurs well for the industry and society at large,” the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) said in a statement.

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mHealth Market Stands to Gain from Wearables Industry Expansion

mHealth Watch

The world of wearables is a vastly expanding ecosystem. That’s according to a new IDC report.

And Apple is helping to drive that growth in a very tangible way.

In its first appearance in the wearables market, Apple finds itself within striking distance of the established market leader, Fitbit.

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Limit on Apple Pay and other contactless payments rises to £30 in the UK

The Verge

UK residents can now make contactless payments of up to £30 without the need for a PIN. The increase from the prior limit of £20 means that people will be able to use phone-based payment services like Apple Pay, as well as contactless cards, for a wider range of transactions across the country. The UK Cards Association, which decided on the change, says that £30 covers common usages like an average supermarket spend, as well as most payments made in pubs, cinemas, gift shops, and elsewhere.

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US Mobile Usage Increases by 43 Minutes a Day, But Gaming Plummets

Mobile Marketing Magazine

Only two days after its Alphabet announcement, Google has inked a deal with healthcare firm Dexcom to build miniature blood glucose monitoring devices for diabetics.

The company plans to design and manufacture Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) wearables the size of a dime. To do so, it’s teaming up with Google’s Life Sciences division, which is now being spun off as a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet.

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Global News Round-up – These articles are not written by MEF and do not represent any views of individuals, members or the organisation.

 

MEF