Find out the week’s top mobile stories from around the world.
This week.. Facebook hits number one for mobile app advertising, Reaching holiday shoppers in the new normal with mobile messaging, Uganda’s banks have been plunged into chaos by a mobile money fraud hack and much more…
Facebook hits number one for mobile app advertising
Netimperative
Facebook took the number one spot, and both Google and Facebook continued to dominate mobile app advertising, according to new research.
The data, from AppsFlyer, found that while Facebook took the number one spot, both Google and Facebook continued to dominate mobile advertising with a significant majority of the non-organic install market. The search and social giants hold the #1 power ranking position in 79% of breakdowns, and 82% of volume rankings across all indices.
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Reaching holiday shoppers in the new normal with mobile messaging
Mobile Marketing Magazine
The holiday season will look a little different this year, and many brands are seeking out creative ways to engage with customers.
The stats below illustrate how crucial mobile was to holiday shopping last year, and we can only expect mobile marketing to play an even bigger role this year.
In 2019:
Smartphones accounted for 84 per cent of the holiday season’s e-commerce growth.
67 per cent of all visits and 48 per cent of revenue on Christmas Day came from smartphone.
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Uganda’s banks have been plunged into chaos by a mobile money fraud hack
Quartz
A major hack that compromised Uganda’s mobile money network has plunged the country’s telecoms and banking sectors into crisis.
The Oct. 3 hack was a result of a security breach on a consumer finance aggregator, Pegasus Technologies, which mainly affected bank to mobile wallet transfers, according to an Oct. 8 statement by MTN Uganda, the country’s largest mobile phone company. Kampala-based Pegasus Technologies provides financial and billing solutions for various companies including all the affected entities.
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How businesses can best prepare for IoT connectivity opportunities
ITProPortal
The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the way we live, work, communicate and do business. In fact, a recent report from IDC stated that worldwide IoT spending was valued at $52.76 billion in 2019 and is forecasted to pass the $1 trillion mark in 2022, reaching $1.1 trillion by 2023. Even though there is still significant uncertainty around Covid-19 and its impact on the IoT industry, there is enough evidence to suggest that the ongoing pandemic will only accelerate the rate of change.
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Blockchain health apps privatize COVID-19 data but security is a concern
Coin Telegraph
New procedures are being implemented as the world slowly begins to reopen amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While temperature checks and mandatory face masks have become the new normal, the world is also witnessing the rise of digital health apps, or “health passports.”
Many of these applications serve as a solution to trace individuals’ whereabouts or to store COVID-19 test results, which can then be presented to officials during travel or gatherings to show proof-of-health. While innovative, privacy and regulatory concerns have been expressed with digital solutions designed to trace contact or store user data via smartphones.
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Ericsson and Orange use the IoT to help keep seniors connected
IoT News
Ericsson and Orange are using their IoT expertise to help keep seniors connected with family, friends, and caregivers in what could be a very lonely time.
The COVID-19 pandemic is cruel in so many ways. Beyond the physical health impacts – including the long-term effects we’re only just beginning to understand – it is also causing financial burdens, mental health issues, and feelings of isolation.
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Turkish fintech company rolls out text message payments
FT
When bus passengers in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaras wanted to replenish their travel cards remotely in years past, they had only one option: use a credit card to top up online. Those without a bank account had no alternative until a Turkish fintech company called Payguru stepped into the breach. Since 2018, transport users have been able to send a text message to refill their cards, with the cost either deducted from their pre-paid phone credit or added to their monthly bill.
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Mini apps could reinvent the way you use your iPhone. China led the way
CNN
Instead of downloading an app, you can pull up just one part of it, saving valuable space on your phone. In China, that has long been the norm.
Last month, the iPhone maker debuted “App Clips” as part of its latest operating system update. The new iOS 14, which has already rolled out on many current Apple devices, will almost certainly be featured on a slate of new phones the company is revealing Tuesday.
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The Next Generation Of Artificial Intelligence
Forbes
The field of artificial intelligence moves fast. It has only been 8 years since the modern era of deep learning began at the 2012 ImageNet competition. Progress in the field since then has been breathtaking and relentless.
If anything, this breakneck pace is only accelerating. Five years from now, the field of AI will look very different than it does today. Methods that are currently considered cutting-edge will have become outdated; methods that today are nascent or on the fringes will be mainstream.
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