Mobile+Media+Update+4



[|iPad competition?]

Blackberry's response to the iPad, the Blackberry Playbook is about a month behind schedule. Adobe has been a cause to the delay but it is said that the Playbook will not have some applications abilities that the iPad has. It's interesting because clearly technology for this mobile technology exists yet competitors are having issues putting out their own versions of mobile devices.

= =media type="youtube" key="U1CineCPjGA" height="390" width="640"= = = =[|ESPN Now Streaming Live on iPads and iPhones]=

Posted by: Alei Cano

ESPN has launched a free mobile application. It allows the iPhone and iPad users to be able to watch live streaming of ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com. The launch of the application came available to public in perfect time for this weekends sports events such as The Masters, NBA playoffs and MLB games. It is only available to subscribers of Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Verizon FiOS TV. For other cable subscribers this live streaming experience is unable to them. It is said it gives high quality streaming experience. This is the new beginning of watching television. It was a matter time for television networks to create a mobile application for live television.

=How Mobile Payment Systems Are Redefining Commerce=

Posted by: Rachael Phillips

The cell phone nowadays is used for more than just making phone calls. In Europe and Asia, cell phones have been used to buy things for the past ten years and with new technology, it's getting easier to purchase things without a credit card. Near field communication, or NFC allows users to just swipe their phone instead of paying with cash or a credit card. PayWave terminals were installed at several New York City subways to allow riders to swipe their phone instead of purchasing a paper ticket. This sped up traffic at the terminals and eliminated paper waste from the printed tickets. Other technologies that allow cell phone users to process payments is Square which has apps available for iPhone and Android phones. The service works with a square card reader that is plugged into the earphone jack and opening the app. What does this mean for the future? According to Forrester Research, we can expect the 2012 London Olympics to have put NFC to use in a big way. While this is just one company's opinion, I don't think they're too far off from what we will see at the 2012 Olympics.



**Electric car's dilemma: The plug [|Article]**

With the ever rising prices in gas and oil, more and more consumers are turning to the electric car. In the past, although the electric car has not run completely on electricity, it will very well soon turn into the case. In preparation for the full transition of turning the automobile into an electric mobile device, the industry has been collaborating to make the experience as smooth as possible. In an attempt to avoid a problem that cell phones are currently dealing with in the 8,000,000+ different cell phone chargers available, the industry is working hard to maintain the number of electric car chargers at 7. The panel selected to work on this project is currently developing a portable charging device for city dwellers, and in some cases, the possibility of simply pulling into a station and swapping out the uncharged battery for one that is fully charged looks likely to become the norm.

Posted by: Christy Chierichetti


 * IPhone Desk Dock [|article]**

A new IPhone desk dock has been created, bringing back the look and feel of the traditional wired desk phone. The dock has built in stereo speakers, a microphone, a volume control, instant mute, works off of USB or AC power and charges the iPhone. The Desk Phone Dock is the latest in a trend that finds designers turning high-tech mobile devices into their old fashioned predecessors via cases and docks, resulting in so-called "phobiles." I guess even when the world has turned digital, we can still incorporate the look and feel of the "good old days" into our lives!



**Students, Parents Favor Mobile Media Devices in Education [|Article] **
With the increase in mobile media technology and the accessibility of these hand-held devices, it's no wonder that parents and students are beginning to take advantage of the great things these devices have to offer. Parents see that their children can easily find answers to problems just by searching the web while in class or even downloading text books at fairly low prices. Teachers and principals, on the other hand, are still reluctant to officially OK the devices in class. I can clearly see the benefits of having a mobile media device in class, but I can't help but wonder if having the answers at your finger tips will create a lazy generation of students (especially for students in elementary and middle schools).

Posted by Angela Ibarra