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Mob4Hire launches, makes it easier to solve mobile application woes

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Creating cross-platform mobile applications for consumers with more than 7000 different mobile handsets in their pockets is a daunting task. Mob4Hire’s crowdsourcing platform will solve this problem with its launch. Mob4Hire helps mobile developers crowdsource application testing by connecting them with an international community of testers: everyday people and professionals on a variety of handhelds and who are willing to test applications in exchange for incentives.

Originally posted on March 28, 2008 @ 6:18 am

RSS to MMS tool for mobile RSS Feeds launched by Cellyspace

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Cellyspace.com has launched an RSS to MMS publishing tool for content providers to automatically convert and deliver syndicated RSS feeds directly to mobile subscribers’ messaging in-boxes using Cellyspace’s MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) technology.

According to the company, auto-conversion of RSS content will make mobile syndication easier and more readily available and by delivering multimedia feeds rather than short, text-only feeds subscribers will be more fully engaged in the content.

Also, with RSS to MMS technology, the feed can be viewed without a subscriber first logging onto a mobile web site or launching a feed reader application. Instead, subscribers are alerted on receipt of the feed and can view it immediately or whenever most convenient since it’s stored in their messaging in-box.

Originally posted on March 26, 2008 @ 5:43 pm

CBS, Aggregate Knowledge partner to offer discovery and recommendation tech on mobile web

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CBS Mobile and Aggregate Knowledge are teaming up to offer first-of-its-kind discovery and recommendation technology on mobile web sites. By drawing on the collective wisdom of mobile web users, CBS will be able to deliver consumers better targeted and relevant content, thereby making the experience more user-friendly.

Aggregate Knowledge and CBS Mobile will allow any user visiting the CBS Mobile News web site to see and receive content recommendations based on what is being viewed, clicked and read – anonymously and in aggregate – by mobile users with similar interests.

Originally posted on March 26, 2008 @ 9:16 am

Vivendi Games Mobile’s Surviving High School franchise amasses 7.5 million downloads

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Vivendi Games Mobile, a division of Vivendi Games, revealed that the original episodic mobile game franchise, Surviving High School – a story-driven simulation game set in a typical high school – had a breakout year in 2007 with a remarkable 7.5 million episodes downloaded. The volume of game and episode downloads qualifies the Surviving High School franchise as the most successful original IP in mobile gaming history.

The Surviving High School mobile game was originally released in 2005 and its sequel, Surviving High School ’07, was released two years later, boosted by the distribution and marketing resources of Vivendi Games Mobile which acquired the game’s original developers, San Mateo-based Centerscore, in September 2006. The sequel built on the early critical and commercial success of the first title, building out the game’s episodic format and refining its story lines. 2007 also saw the game promoted via a range of Web 2.0 campaigns and viral marketing initiatives. The franchise has become
so popular that fans have created their own Surviving High School group on Facebook.

Originally posted on March 25, 2008 @ 10:33 pm

Clear Channel Radio and Thumbplay to offer mobile entertainment content on stations’ web sites

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thumbplay.pngThumbplay announced a deal with Clear Channel Radio to roll out customized mobile content stores across more than 650 of its local music stations’ web sites, plus several more news and sports stations, throughout 2008.

Thumbplay’s content is contextually featured in areas including the ‘Just Played’ box and ‘Top 20 On Demand’ lists on all participating local radio stations’ home pages. In addition, links to the mobile content store are found in the ‘Last 10 Played’ playlist on each site. This enables listeners who like songs heard on these stations to purchase them as ringtones for more than 2,000 supported handsets across all major U.S. wireless carriers.

As part of the integration, each radio station site will host a customized store featuring format-appropriate mobile content. Thumbplay also developed a customizable widget allowing DJs at each station to choose their favorite ringtones and update those selections themselves online.

Originally posted on March 25, 2008 @ 10:31 am