Skip to main content

Nokia, Apple Make Mobile Ad Moves; Yahoo Expands Bing Testing

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nokia announced today that it is acquiring small mobile analytics firm Motally for an undisclosed amount. Although Motally has just eight employees, Nokia apparently has grand plans for the technology, which enables developers and publishers to actively measure how people use their applications and content—tracking things like button taps, clicks, searches, time spent in particular areas, downloads, and what application features users tap into. Analytics information like that is often critical for helping developers understand what users like about applications, what they find confusing, and what they outright ignore. Of course, without anonymization, analytics data can also be a tremendous invasion of privacy, tracking users’ actions with applications and content in minute detail. Nokia plans to adapt Motally’s analytics platform for its Qt development environment, along with services for Symbian, Java, and Meego platforms.

In the meantime, Apple has announced the shutdown of Quattro Wireless, the mobile advertising company it bought at the beginning of the year essentially as a runner-up when Google beat it to a deal with AdMob. This week, Apple sent a letter to Quattro clients saying Quattro’s existing mobile advertising network will shut down on September 30 in favor of Apple’s new iAd platform. Apple’s iAd platform only works on Apple products—the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch—where Quattro Wireless also targeted Android devices. The shutdown of Quattro may create new opportunities in the non-Apple mobile advertising space, and many industry watchers have offered mixed or negative reactions to Apple’s iAd platform: while the technology is engaging, advertising is about reaching as many eyeballs as possible, and advertisers don’t want to leave non-Apple platforms out of their efforts—particularly with Android’s current market momentum.

Recommended Videos

On the search—and search advertising—fronts, Yahoo has announced that it is continuing to transition the back end of Yahoo Search over to Microsoft’s Bing platform as part of the companies’ ten-year partnership agreement on search. According to Microsoft, Bing will start handling organic English language search results in the U.S. and Canada shortly; when the transition completes, Bing will be handling about 5.2 billion monthly searches representing almost one third of U.S. search traffic. Most of the other two-thirds is, of course, Google.

Yahoo also says a portal for Yahoo Search Marketing customers to transition over to Microsoft AdCenter will debut shortly. The portal will enable Yahoo search advertising customers to transition their campaigns to AdCenter, or link themselves up with an existing AdCenter account. Yahoo is testing the portal with a small number of accounts now, and plans to notify customers via email once the portal goes live. Yahoo hasn’t said when it plans to transition search customers over to AdCenter, saying only that they’ll should be moved over in 2010 “while protecting the holiday season.” However, if they encounter problems—or, as Yahoo puts it, “we conclude we could improve the overall experience”—search marketing customers may not be transitioned to Microsoft AdCenter until 2011.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
5 phones you should buy instead of the iPhone 16 Pro
Someone holding the iPhone 16 Pro.

If you’re in the market for a new phone, whether it’s for yourself or a loved one, you may be considering the iPhone 16 Pro from Apple. After all, it just came out, and it’s packed with the latest and greatest from the fruit company. That means an A18 Pro chip for fast performance, an upgraded 5x telephoto camera, the new Camera Control button, Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18, and more.

But what if we told you there are some better options out there? And some offer even better features or are a better value? Here are five alternatives to consider before you buy the iPhone 16 Pro.
iPhone 16

Read more
I used Oura’s and Samsung’s latest smart rings. This one is my favorite
Oura RIng 4 and Galaxy Ring in the hand.

Smart rings have fast become one of the hottest markets in the wearable technology market. For many years, Oura was the leader and the only real maker of smart rings that appealed to most people. Then came a myriad of other options, including rings from RingConn, Ultrahuman, Circular, and, most importantly, Samsung’s first smart ring.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring takes a different approach to the competition. Built around the Samsung Health ecosystem, it is designed to be a companion to the Galaxy Watch lineup. It has a much simpler set of features than other smart rings, which focus on packing as much technology into the ring as possible.

Read more
The iPhone 17 Pro may get a new type of display. Here’s what we know
iPhone 16 Pro Max in Desert Titanium camera module.

The iPhone 17 Pro has been the subject of quite a few leaks lately, and keeping up with the information is about to give us whiplash. First, we heard a rumor that suggests Apple might return to aluminum for the frame, and then another that said the first rumor was wrong. Now, there's more corroborating evidence, suggesting the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will retain their titanium frames  — as well as get a new type of display tech.

The two handsets will supposedly come with Low-Dielectric TEE, a type of display technology that is more power efficient and durable, and provides generally better overall performance, according to tipster Jukanlosreve. The leaker also corrects an earlier statement, stating that Low-Dielectric TEE is not the same as LTPO+.

Read more