March mobile madness: three apps to keep you in the loop

March Madness has officially begun! But unless you’re a college student on Spring Break or work at ESPN you probably don’t get to watch the NCAA tournament games live. Don’t worry, there’s an app for that! In fact, to keep you up to speed with all 67 games—and the office basketball bracket—we have three smartphone apps to get you through the madness.

1. NCAA’s 'March Madness Live' is the king of all March Madness applications! It provides the latest scores, news updates, bracket creators and up-to-the-minute alerts that notify you when a game ends or goes into overtime. Plus, it also has a live chat feature that allows you to post bracket info (and bragging rights) to Facebook and Twitter.

2. ESPN Bracket Bound 2012 is one of the most popular free applications. To keep track of the live bracket just tap "My Bracket" and all of your teams and their scores show up. In addition, news and highlights of games show on the home screen in a slide show. You can also catch details, highlights and players’ statistics on the application.

3. Twitter is a must for sports junkies! With ESPN reporters, bloggers and even players tweeting about the games, it’s the obvious place to catch breaking news. Here are a few we suggest following: sports writers Jeff Goodman @GoodmanCBS and Andy Katz @ESPNAndyKatz tweet scores, highlights and industry insight. North Carolina player Kendall Marshall @KButter5 will provide an inside look from a player’s standpoint, while Sport Illustrated stat man Luke Winn @lukewinn does all the math so you don’t have to! Plus, all of the teams have individual Twitter handles!

Finally, all of the apps are available on both Apple and Android devices. Do you have a favorite sports application? Feel free to share your thoughts (and game predictions) by leaving us a comment or two!

2012: The Year of Mobile Commerce

Forget the dragon; 2012 is the year of mobile commerce!

You may be asking how we know this. For one, mobile applications are quickly growing to become a life force for almost every independent country in the world. This change is enhancing consumers’ capabilities to shop remotely.

In fact, application developers witnessed the rapid growth of shopping apps in 2011. Industry analysts are estimating that the U.S. market could experience more than $200 billion in mobile commerce purchases this year alone.

So, what do this means for you?

Increased mobile security. The security of online stores, and especially mobile security, will likely become more of a focal point in 2012 – both for mobile stores and payment firms that will have to address issues with exposed personal information and financial records. Unfortunately, in exchange for instant access to products, discounts and express service, consumers give up information to stores, and sometimes thieves.

Integration between applications. As smartphone users continue to make purchases from the palm of their hand, application developers are increasing the avenues of monetization already in place. For example, Facebook launched its app so users could access their profiles while on-the-go; however, as the market evolved, developers created Facebook “gifts.” This simple, digital product led to Facebook’s development of an online currency that could be used for an even wider line of digital features and products. Smartphone owners will continue to see more types of non-traditional commerce.

More mainstream sites going mobile. Two mobile applications that caught consumers’ eyes in 2011 include Amazon and eBay. When compared to similar applications, Amazon’s price-check app received one of the highest user satisfaction ratings. eBay’s PayPal also saw a record number of purchases made from its mobile application. More retail sites are developing mobile applications and launching mobile versions of their online stores.

These apps’ growth is not surprising for a world that is online and connected 24/7 by mobile technology. Smartphone owners have proven their willingness to make purchases from their phones and developers will continue creating apps that capitalize on this. These factors combine and create a mobile market that has potential to earn billions of additional dollars in 2012.

New Recommendations for Hands-Free Mobile Devices Suggest Major Change

Earlier this is year we blogged about the expansion of hands-free texting laws across the U.S. Since then, the topic has pervaded local, state and federal agencies, bringing to light the often-overlooked safety concerns surrounding not just texting while driving, but also calling. As the percentage of automobile accidents related to mobile phone usage increases, more regulators and law enforcement officials are questioning whether the devices should even be allowed on the road.

In fact, the National Transportation Safety Board (N.T.S.B.) made headlines in The New York Times recently because of its latest recommendation suggesting something similar.

“No call, no text, no update is worth a human life,” said Deborah A. P. Hersman, chairman of the N.T.S.B., an independent federal agency that investigates driving accidents. The board recommended a ban that includes all hands-free devices. Hersman said she recognized it was a challenging recommendation, as most individuals depend on a mobile phone for communication, but it was the right one.

The agency supported its suggestion with evidence from its investigation of numerous accidents in which mobile phone distraction was a major contributing factor.
Despite the federal recommendation, states have the final say as to whether they want to follow the new safety suggestions or not.

More than 30 states already have hands-free device laws in place including, Calif., Pa., Nev., Maine and Ind.

Four Must-Have Holiday-Survival Applications

Say hello to delicious food and family gatherings; the holiday season is here! But, before you rush off to grab your wrapping paper and winter sweaters, check your applications.

This season, your smartphone can be your best friend. Besides sharing pics on Facebook or checking email, think outside the box. What else can your smartphone do? Try step by step instructions for cooking Thanksgiving dinner or finding the least expensive gas station closest to you. Here are our top four must-have holiday applications!

Chow: Thanksgiving Dinner Coach will guide even the most amateur chef through the process of cooking the big bird (say goodbye to your mother-in-law’s endless turkey tips). The application, which is available for iPhone and Android, provides step-by-step directions with tutorials and pictures for roasting the turkey. No need to scour cookbooks, the application even supplies a shopping list and cooking times based on the size of the bird. It can’t get much better than that!

TGIBlack Friday will come in handy post-Thanksgiving feast (let someone else do the dishes, you prepared the turkey!). The application, also available on iPhone and Android, displays Black Friday shopping deals from all the top retailers. You can even build a specific list for each person in your family.

If you plan on traveling in the car over the holidays, GasBuddy will provide you a list of the least expensive gas stations nearest you. Crossing state lines can sometimes mean more than an accent change—don’t get stuck paying astronomical gas prices.

Who can forget ESPNScore Center? With so many BIG football games taking place over the holidays you don’t want to miss a beat. ESPNScore Center will send updates to your phone each time your favorite team scores a touchdown, just make sure the Missus doesn’t catch you checking it during her family’s holiday party.

Happy Holidays! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more holiday application updates.

Android tops iPhone with 45 percent of US smartphone sales

The iPhone 4S and its new personal assistant, Siri, have dominated headlines since its premiere in September. The public’s on going love affair with the phone would suggest that it holds the top spot in smartphone sales. But surprising, new research from ComScore shows that Google’s Android mobile operating system is the queen bee of smartphones. With 45 percent of the smartphone market, Android tops the iPhone by almost 28 percent (the iPhone sits at a comfortable 17 percent). These statistics might be unexpected but there are several things to consider when analyzing these numbers.

For one, Apple’s iOS operating system only functions on the iPhone. It cannot be legally transferred to another handset. Since the iPhone is the only device to host iOS, it naturally decreases the percentage of its market share.

On the other hand, Android is available on multiple smartphones. From the ever-popular Samsung Galaxy to the new Motorola Razr, the Android operating system is offered by many mobile phone makers and carriers.

Along with restrictions on operating systems, each phone premiered with different terms. Since its birth, Android was available on every top mobile phone carrier. This gave consumers more than one option. The iPhone debuted on AT&T and remained exclusively with the carrier until early this year, when Verizon started selling the device.

Things that could change this trend include:

• The iPhone 3GS is free with a two-year contract. This could increase sales on the iPhone. While it may not be the iPhone 4S, it contributes to the total percentage of market share the operating system possesses.
• Apple also added a new carrier. The iPhone is now available on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint.
• Android’s ability to keep consumers happy. The new software, Ice Cream Sandwich, is slowly making its way into the market and it will have to compete with iOS5.

The iPhone has a long way to go in order to catch up to Android, but who knows-- maybe Siri will surprise us!