Mobile Ad Network Releases Traffic Evaluation Report

Mobile advertiser AdMob releases a monthly report that analyzes the mobile phone market and their most recent report shows some interesting observations. MocoNews summarizes some of the more salient statistics and links to the actual report, if you’re interested in this sort of thing.

Symbian lost market share in February, but is still number one worldwide with 43 percent of requests; the top Windows Mobile device is the Samsung BlackJack II, but six of the top 10 Windows Mobile devices are from HTC; Android accounts for 5 percent of the US smartphone market; iPhone generated 33 percent of worldwide traffic and 50 percent of US traffic.

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‘Did You Know’ Ad is Mind Boggling

I bumped into the extended version of the GM Volt “Did You Know” advertisement and promptly got sucked into the various nuggets of information, many of which revolve around technology and the Internet. I’m not sure how accurate the data is but some of it blows me away. Check it out below and discuss if it’s a bunch of hooey or a clever application of statistics.

Update: Turns out this isn't a GM Volt ad after all. Forum member "crocodolljr" tells us what's up with this video. It's still cool to me though.

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Adam Carolla Talks About Podcasting

TechNewsWorld has an interview with comedian Adam Carolla that focuses on his podcast venture. Since his morning radio show was canceled when the station switched formats, he’s been putting out his weekly podcast and has often been the #1 podcast on iTunes.

"We haven't missed a day yet," boasts Carolla. "It's like dating. If you like me, I'll like you back. I'll keep growing the show based on other people's commitment to it. If people find the show, like the show and want more of the show, then I'll oblige. If they taper off and don't show an interest anymore, then I'm not going to show an interest in it anymore."

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Cyber Spies Stole Info from 100+ Countries, Report

Researchers have identified a spy network based primarily in China that has hacked into the systems of over one hundred countries. They managed to steal “classified documents” from both private and government computers around the world.

The work of the Information Warfare Monitor initially focused on allegations of Chinese cyber espionage against the Tibetan community in exile, and eventually led to a much wider network of compromised machines, the Internet-based research group said.

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‘Best Lightbulb in the World’ Costs $119

I know we’re a bunch of hardware enthusiasts but does your passion for the best include light bulbs? If so, the C. Crane Company has the light bulb for you. For $119, you can get the GeoBulb LED, which can provide as much light as a 60-watt bulb with only 7.5-watts.

Jessica Gillette, director of sales and marketing, said the price was one of the hurdles the company plans to address in the future. The bulb was designed with a typical consumer in mind and was made to be an easy method of being energy efficient.

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Former AOL CEO to Join News Corp.

Jonathan Miller, AOL’s former CEO, has already found another gig, if the Wall Street Journal is correct. His new job will be to oversee “digital strategy” at News Corp, which includes the MySpace and Hulu properties.

The expected appointment of Mr. Miller continues News Corp.'s overhaul of its leadership after President and Chief Operating Officer Peter Chernin announced he is leaving the company when his contract expires at the end of June. Mr. Chernin has played a key role overseeing News Corp.'s entertainment and digital operations.

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Top 10 Internet Villains

This list of ten people tech people love to hate is pretty entertaining. From the Hamsterdance creator to Jack Thompson, the article’s authors have some pretty funny quips on why the people on the list belong there.

Some are shrewd businessmen whose tactics have garnered them a long list of enemies. Others are well-meaning individuals whose mistakes earned them the ire of the public, while still others are moral crusaders who don't mind being seen as a heel by the unwashed masses.

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Parental Control for iPhones

So your kid has an iPhone and you want to be able to control what sites they can access. This article in the New York Times may be exactly what you’re looking for. You’re welcome.

Mr. Ramasubbu says applications like Mobicip and Safe Eyes Mobile are just the first step toward keeping kids from stumbling onto explicit sites. “Parents have to keep an eye on the sites their kids are visiting and talk to them about their behavior,” he said.

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Surviving XP’s Final Days

InformationWeek put up a guide for shops and users that are clinging on to Windows XP until Windows 7 releases. If you count yourself in this number, check the tips out.

So what to do in the time between now and the eventual-and-probably-inevitable move to Windows 7? Protect your existing PC investment, prepare for what's next, and don't let anything derail you along the way.

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Windows 7 RC Release Date Accidentally Leaked

ArsTechnica reports that the Windows 7 Release Candidate download page was posted prematurely, showing a May 2009 release instead of the rumored April date. I have a hard time believing that such a snafu could make it through the publishing controls Microsoft has in place. Much like the Beta oopsie, I think this is a way to gauge community buzz.

The RC testing program will be available at least through June 2009, and the actual build will expire June 1, 2010. Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions will be available in English, German, Japanese, French, and Spanish. …A quick glance at the hardware requirements shows no changes between Beta and RC requirements.

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OnStar Update May Feature Twitter Connection

If you’ve always wanted to send a tweet from your car without taking out your mobile device, OnStar may be your panacea. According to Gear Live, OnStar is surveying users on using voice-to-text and transmitting updates to Twitter as well as receive tweets. If they put a fail-whale icon on the dash to indicate a problem, that would be pretty funny.

Kind of crazy when you first think about it, but after a few minutes, you can start to imagine some cool uses. You can voice-tweet something like “I’m headed to downtown Seattle, where can I find the best slice of pizza?” You can then listen for responses, and when you hear one, have OnStar direct you to that location.

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Toshiba-Panasonic End LCD Venture

Toshiba decided to end its joint venture with Panasonic in LCDs by buying out Panasonic’s 40% stake. Falling prices and slumping demand are the reasons cited in the decision. Panasonic is still in the small/midsize LCD market in a separate venture with Hitachi but say they are focusing on large displays.

After making the venture wholly-owned, Toshiba plans to scale back production of amorphous silicon panels, which have been hit hard by sliding prices, and focus on higher-end polycrystalline silicon panels, the Nikkei said.

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