Thursday, October 14, 2010

Window Mobile 7 syncs for Mac this fall: Would Mac users go for that?

Mac users will get the ability to sync Windows Phone 7 devices with their Mac computer, sometime in 2010.
The news first came from the tweet of Oded Ran, Microsoft UK’s head of Windows Phone marketing. He tweeted that WP7/Zune syncing with Mac is coming soon, with Microsoft later this year.
So later in 2010 Microsoft would make a public beta available of a tool that allows Windows Phone 7 to sync selected content with Mac computers.
While that doesn’t really sound like a full-fledged Zune client for Mac, it’s still nice to see Microsoft trying to be keen on Mac users who also happen to be interested in a Windows Phone 7 device.
But market analysts say that Microsoft expects many Mac users to go for Windows Phone 7. But there is already a version of Zune for Mac for the Kin. So it could be almost zero effort to make it work for Window Phone 7 which actually might be a little poke in the eye at Apple.
Any way it is “Well played” by Microsoft.

Friday, October 01, 2010

FLASH vs. HTML5? Who will be the future?

Close to five years have passed since the early mobile ad networks emerged with basic banners on mobile screens. Despite numerous attempts at innovation, there are still very few mobile ad unit technologies being used by major networks or agencies. Many have just relied on the same basic banner ads that were used five years ago.
When Apple’s iAds came on the scene several months ago, it was considered a game-changer. While Apple believed it was setting a new standard for the quality of ads on the mobile device with its use of animation, sound and video, the company has since drawn criticism for production delays of initial iAd campaigns. Apple has managed to introduce a few campaigns from top brands including Nissan and Unilever in the past few months, but its early challenges underscore the struggles with innovation that have plagued the industry over the years. The question is, why?
With iAds demonstrating that HTML5 is a viable option for mobile ad development today, the industry will see more progress. HTML5 and compatible HTML5-based ad formats will have a major impact on the future of the mobile ad industry.
You may well be aware of the ongoing HTML5 vs. Flash debates happening across the industry and the web. One of the arguments in that debate is the potential quality and performance problems that plug-in technologies can suffer.
Now HTML5 is changing the way of Mobile Advertising. So how will HTML5 change the mobile advertising the way Flash changed it for the desktop?
HTML can be downloaded from an ad server and displayed on the web and in apps. The ability of apps to render HTML is a huge boost. Android and iOS support HTML5, and soon all major smartphone platforms will follow suit. The same can’t be said for Flash and other Flash lookalikes.
HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript offer remarkable design flexibility and capability, which is unlikely to be trumped by a single technology compatible with so many mobile devices. It doesn’t require downloading of potentially insecure pre-compiled binaries and it doesn’t necessitate any heavy UI framework to be bundled with the app. For instance, the iPad apps for “The Wall Street Journal” and “Popular Mechanics” use HTML5 exclusively for their advertisers.
While display advertising on mobile devices may not reach full maturity for a while, the need to de-fragment the platforms on a technical level is the key right now. Market analysts say, bridging the gap between the mobile web and apps has pushed the technology to evolve towards a cross-platform architecture. Isn’t it an exciting time for interactive developers and designers?
There is also another concern: Flash will continue to dominate ads and RIAs for the unforeseen future, because HTML5 won't exists in at least 50% of browsers for at least that long. IE9 cannot be used with Windows XP - only Windows 7. That means everybody with XP who uses an IE browser IE8, IE7, etc will not have access to HTML5. So the advertisers would not switch from Flash to HTML5 if they're missing half the audience.
Let’s see which one would exist for long run.