It’s a fun romp through a topic that many would consider “dry:”  enjoy it here.

My latest research report for GigaOm Pro explores how retailers can join ‘em instead of fight ‘em by providing rich mobile data experiences for shoppers in-store.  Enabling data-hungey customer appetites for mobile data presents opportunities for retailers to: raise customer value by presenting timely offers and rewards, capitalize on the high level of correlation between in-store mobile app usage and same-day sales, capture valuable business intelligence and generate new revenue streams by capturing more of the “path to purchase.”

The report is available from GigaOm Pro, free to subscribers and during a 7-day trial subscription period ($299 annually).

Read it here:  How Retailers Can Outdo Showrooming with In-Store Wi-Fi

I’m really looking forward to this year’s Connected World Conference, coming up June 10-13 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, in the heart of Silicon Valley.  This year’s program not only includes a Gadget Giveaway and M2M App Challenge, but also an impressive line-up of speakers from the United Parcel Service, Progressive Insurance, Hewlett Packard, at&t, T-Mobile, Sprint, and more.

The highlight of the Connected World Conference for me is always the Value Chain Awards.  I have had the honor of judging these awards for several years, and am particularly impressed with the quality of this year’s entries.  I can’t wait to see who won!  Plus it’s a rare excuse to break out the formal and dress up.  Join us!

The video embedded below highlights many of the exciting products and services that exhibited at the show last year.  This year’s line-up should be at least as good.

For more information, or to register for the 2013 Connected World Conference, click here.

Here’s a news video from the exhibits floor at the 2012 Connected World Conference:

The article continues with a discussion of what some of those third parties do with your mobile phone data once they have it.  From tracking your location over time, to matching location, in-app behavior and other activities, data harvested from mobile phones is used to tailor advertising messages, uncover hidden needs and other improve the quality of mobile applications, networks and services.

You can read the full article on the Connected World website.  Enjoy!  (And check the privacy settings on your mobile phone, STAT!)

On Thursday, February 21 at 2 pm EST/11 am PST I presented a webcast on The Internet of Things for the Gerson Lehrman Group.  The webcast was an informative and fun 45 minutes during which I lay out what the “Internet of Things” is, how it works, and why it matters to people, communities, and our global society.

Gerson Lehrman Group is a research company that employs a network of experts available for advice and consulting on a large variety of topics.  I’m a member of their Technology, Media & Telecom Council.

A replay of the webcast is available here.

CTIA will host their spring telecom trade show in Las Vegas this year, May 20-23.  Spring CTIA is the biggest mobile trade show in North America, with a trade show floor loaded with exhibits that cover the mobile experience from end to end:  mobile infrastructure, cool new handsets, service delivery platforms of all kinds, mobile apps, digital media, billing solutions, and more.

The morning Keynote sessions will feature senior exeuctives from U.S. Cellular, Deutche Telecom, Telefonica,  Walmart, and even actor/tech investor Ashton Kutcher.  In CTIA’s educational track, an impressive array of mobile and digital media executives will discuss “Today’s Technology Leaders, Tomorrow’s Network.”

I’ll be attending CTIA 2013 on a press pass, and arranging both media and research interviews during the show.  If you’d like to meet me there, contact me.

That’s how my February/March Unplugged column in Connected World starts out, then goes on to explore the various tools and toys entering modern homes that take photos and videos — often without your knowledge.  I also include a handy chart summarizing video options for the home, ranging from “spy toys” to  night-vision baby monitors to home security systems.

Enjoy reading the full article here.

L > R: Lamberth, Pattabiraman, Marx, Mundt, Gordon, Pasolini

Five leading experts in location-based services, and I, shared a lively discussion on the current state of mobile phone location accuracy at the Telecom Council of Silicon Valley’s December, 2012 Mobile Forum: Locations & Beyond.  Our 50-minute conversation focused on how to improve the accuracy of mobile phone location fixes, both indoors and out.

Here are a few highlights from the panel:

Ganesh Pattabiraman, Founder/President at Next Nav, pointed out that less accuracy results in less opportunities to monetize the data, and that the price per thousand impressions (CPM) is limited by the lowest common denominator.  Poor location accuracy also impacts emergency response, since time spent locating the patient during the first “golden hour” after a serious injury can cost lives.

Peter Marx, Vice President of Business Development at Qualcomm Labs, pointed out that most advertisers don’t want greater location accuracy — ad targeting based on behavior is more reliable, and makes a mobile phone user “more than just a blue dot.”  Peter leads a group at Qualcomm that offers “Gimbal,” a platform for application developers to access location data.

Clint Mundt, Program Manager at Raven Industries, discussed improvements that are coming soon to outdoor GPS, including new satellites being launched by the European Union and China.  GPS augmentation offers highly accurate location fixes — this is where a local correction is broadcast that provides adjustments to satellite GPS fixes for things such as sunspots, weather and interference.  It’s difficult to deliver augmentation data within mobile networks, per Clint, and development is needed to make this possible.

Scot Gordon, Director of Advanced Technology at Polaris Wireless, described how RF “fingerprinting” works, and how it is a useful tool for law enforcement applications such as lawful pursuit. RF “fingerprinting” involves cataloging all of the RF signals available in venues of interest (TV, radio, cellular, Wi-Fi, etc.), then using this fingerprint to identify a mobile phone’s location.  Scot says fingerprinting results in fixes that are within 50 meters about 60-70% of the time, both indoors and out.

Fabio Pasolini, General Manager, Motion MEMS Division at STMicroelectronics, discussed how mobile phone sensors are used for location determination.  Mobile phones can use data from their accelerometers, gyroscopes, compasses and other sensors to dead-reckon a user’s position in-between network or GPS location fixes.  I did not know that air pressure sensors could be used to determine altitude, which can be translated into the floor of a building!

This was, as usual, a first-rate event from the Telecom Council of Silicon Valley.  If you live in or travel to the Silicon Valley, keep an eye on their Calendar of Events for more sessions packed full of current, actionable information.  Thanks to the TC for inviting me to moderate this session on mobile phone location determination!

Get the full run-down on the agenda, participants and sponsors for the Telecom Council of Silicon Valley’s December 11th Mobile Focus: Locations & Beyond here.

Mobile has emerged as one of the most compelling marketing channels during the past decade.  All of us are increasingly connected, with our mobile phones at hand 24/7.  Already, studies show that more than 50% of adults in all age groups use their mobile phone as a shopping tool.  As the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) puts it:  “… it’s abundantly apparent that mobile’s ‘power of the personal’ must be at the heart of the connected experience, supporting and strengthening all channels in a successful marketing mix.”

Join me and hundreds of traditional and digital marketing executives at this year’s MMA 2013 North American Forum in San Francisco, January 29-30, to hear from leading marketing pioneers who are blazing the trails with mobile at the center of their broader marketing strategies. Discover how mobile can:

• accelerate the path to purchase
• build customer loyalty
• allow advertisers to use detailed analytics never before available to optimize your campaigns across channels
• transform what your customers think about your brand, and your business.

This two-day session should give you a roadmap you can use to transform what your customers think about your brand, products and business – and you you can keep them coming back.

Learn about and register for the MMA North American Forum here.  I hope you decide to join us!

Santa — or any connected device designers out there — can you peruse my wish list and get the elves started on some of the connected devices and objects that I’d like for a change?  Thanks bunches.

Happy Holidays, everyone!  Here’s to a productive, happy New Year.  Cheers to you!

Read the full article:  All I Want is Everything Connected