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Uncategorized

Live365 Forced to Call it Quits

One of the oldest streaming radio service providers has informed its current broadcasters that it is shutting down at the end of the month.  Whether it was for hobby or for business, Live365 was home to just about anyone who wanted to start their own internet radio station. Changing royalty rules, especially the expiration of the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2009, and the loss of long-time investors were the reasons for the shutdown.

A quote currently circulating from the email reads: “We are sad that we are closing our doors at the end of this month.  There are always possibilities that we can come back in one form or another, but at this point in time, January 31, 2016 is the last day that Live365’s streaming servers and website will be maintained and supported.”

With the shutdown of Live365 comes the realization for a wide range of online programming, which Live365 supported, that they will have to find a new place to call home or be dealt the same fate as Live365.  The new royalty rates seem so out of reach that many of these small broadcasters may have to call it quits altogether.  However, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

jācapps is working with StreamGuys, to help former Live365 clients reach their audience.  StreamGuys has the experience, tools, and resources to successfully deliver streaming media for large and small businesses and jācapps can provide the mobile app crucial for reaching the audience where they live — on their smartphones.

To learn more about our mobile solutions, make sure to visit our Products page.

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Connected Car Mobile Apps Radio

Radio & Cars – Like Peanut Butter and Jelly

American radio and the car industry have more in common than most people would initially think.  Throughout the 20th century there were many challenges both these industries faced but they have survived and thrived, proving they are both highly profitable legacy industries.  However, despite their ability to adapt, they are facing millions of Millennials who aren’t as interested in their products as older generations.  Both automakers and radio operators are watching them gravitating away from their respective businesses.

Digital technologies are taking over about every aspect of our everyday lives, and this is no different with automobiles and radio.  A new era in digital technology has emerged, leaving both automotive and radio to seek out new employees with skill sets that have nothing to do with their businesses historically.  With the rise in this technology comes a new set of competitors that automakers would have never thought to be opponents.  Companies such as Google and Apple are competing for a spot on the user’s dashboard, while radio broadcasters were slow to understand challenges posed by Pandora, Spotify, and SiriusXM.

One thing is for sure – things aren’t what they used to be.  And that’s why it’s fascinating for our company to watch what many automakers are now doing to face these challenges, while wondering whether radio couldn’t go down a similar road.  This is not to say the auto industry has it all figured out, because many of their executives will tell you that these next five years are as impossible to predict as the previous five.

To read more about the industry wide disruption, click here.

Categories
Connected Car Mobile Apps Radio

Radio & Cars – Like Peanut Butter and Jelly

American radio and the car industry have more in common than most people would initially think.  Throughout the 20th century there were many challenges both these industries faced but they have survived and thrived, proving they are both highly profitable legacy industries.  However, despite their ability to adapt, they are facing millions of Millennials who aren’t as interested in their products as older generations.  Both automakers and radio operators are watching them gravitating away from their respective businesses.

Digital technologies are taking over about every aspect of our everyday lives, and this is no different with automobiles and radio.  A new era in digital technology has emerged, leaving both automotive and radio to seek out new employees with skill sets that have nothing to do with their businesses historically.  With the rise in this technology comes a new set of competitors that automakers would have never thought to be opponents.  Companies such as Google and Apple are competing for a spot on the user’s dashboard, while radio broadcasters were slow to understand challenges posed by Pandora, Spotify, and SiriusXM.

One thing is for sure – things aren’t what they used to be.  And that’s why it’s fascinating for our company to watch what many automakers are now doing to face these challenges, while wondering whether radio couldn’t go down a similar road.  This is not to say the auto industry has it all figured out, because many of their executives will tell you that these next five years are as impossible to predict as the previous five.

To read more about the industry wide disruption, click here.

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Mobile Apps Wearables

Apple Watch, Wearables, and Your Mobile Strategy

By: Bob Kernen

The past few years at this time of year we’ve communicated with our clients and others just how important the recently concluded holidays are when it comes to your mobile strategy. We’ve been diligent about reminding you that lots and lots of people opened packages with new smartphones in them, and that you should be sure that your brand is well-represented and that your listeners know they can add your station’s branded app to their smartphone.

For this past holiday season, however, we want to also remind you that there was likely another goodie wrapped up for good boys and girls: a smart watch. It was probably be a nifty new AppleWatch, but it could also have been any number of other “wearables” that are emerging as the next big movement in digital devices.

Even all the way back in 2014 when just a few Android watches were available, the market sold 6.8M of them. With Apple entering the scene, the numbers have jumped dramatically. The new AppleWatch did $1.7B in sales through end of the 3rd quarter of 2015, accounting for over 3M units in less than six months. And the forecasts are stratospheric with 40% of US consumers interested in buying a smart watch. The estimate for the wearables market was 45.7M units in 2015, growing to 126.1M in 2019. By 2018, this will be a $19 billion market.

That is why jācapps has announced our “App Everywhere℠” strategy. Apps have broken out of the smartphone and are now showing up … everywhere. If your station has one of our V4 apps, we will be offering to enable it for the AppleWatch, and throughout 2016 we will be offering support for more and more new platforms, including other wearables, smart TVs and cars.

So now, as millions of consumers are strapping on their new wearables you should be thinking about your mobile strategy and how to use all of these new mobile, digital platforms to build your brand and drive revenue.

If you want to learn more about App Everywhere℠ or how to upgrade your mobile strategy to jācapps V4 platform, call Alex Burnstein or me at 248-353-9030, or email sales@jacapps.com.

For more ways to add monetization to your mobile strategy get our white paper on “Monetizing Mobile.”

Categories
Mobile Apps Wearables

Consumers Want Watches with Some Brains

It’s that time of the year again.  The time when everyone realizes they should have probably said no to the second helping of dessert at their office/family holiday party.  With the guilt of the holiday diet comes the motivation to be fit, and this shows with the recent survey conducted by The Consumer Technology Association.

The survey was comprised of 1,001 U.S. Internet users and 74% of respondents said they intend to purchase a health or fitness tracker within the next year.  Of this group, more than a third (35%) had plans to purchase a smart watch in the next 12 months.  According to eMarketer, usage in wearable technology is growing dramatically with an estimated increase of 60% in the coming year.  The number of U.S. adults that uses wearable technology in 2016 is estimated to be about 63.7 million, up from 39.5 million in 2015.  This can mean big things for smart watches, fitness apps, smart apparel, sleep trackers, and other wearable fitness devices.

To read more about which wearables consumers plan to buy, click here.
 

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Mobile Apps

The Top Mobile Apps of 2015

As 2015 comes to a close, we would like to take a look back at the top mobile apps throughout the year.  After looking at the top trends in smartphone apps and operating systems, Nielsen compiled a list of the top 10 smartphone apps of 2015.  To no one’s surprise, Facebook maintained its dominance with more than 126 million average unique users each month, a growth of 8% from the previous year.  YouTube and Facebook Messenger claimed the number two and number three spots respectively, causing Google to fall from number two the previous year to number four, with around 95 million average unique users per month.

“In third-quarter 2015, a majority of subscribers used Android (53%) and iOS (43%) devices to access their apps.”

To read more about the top mobile apps of 2015 click here.
 

Categories
Mobile Apps

Give the Gift of ‘Appiness This Holiday

If you are a business owner and have yet to buy gifts for your loyal customers/clients or important business partners, do not fret.  There is an app for that!  An increasing number of businesses are turning to mobile applications for their holiday gift giving strategy, and with good reason.  Smartphones have already taken over the world and now the apps on smartphones seem to be accomplishing the same feat.

Paired with either an iTunes or Google Play gift card, a recommended list of mobile apps is a great way to give a unique gift that your customers have not received before.  It is probably a good idea to get to know your clients well enough to be able to recommend a few specific apps that will appeal to their interests.  But, even if you do not know your customers that well, you can still give personalized apps by recommending ones that are relevant for their company's industry.

This is a great way to show appreciation to your customers, as well as partners, during the holiday season while avoiding the impersonal touch of gift cards only.  A personalized message and a recommended list will show your clients that you really care and did not just slap something together in the last moments.

To read more about the perfect holiday gift this season on PC Mag, click here.

Categories
Mobile Apps

Give the Gift of 'Appiness This Holiday

If you are a business owner and have yet to buy gifts for your loyal customers/clients or important business partners, do not fret.  There is an app for that!  An increasing number of businesses are turning to mobile applications for their holiday gift giving strategy, and with good reason.  Smartphones have already taken over the world and now the apps on smartphones seem to be accomplishing the same feat.

Paired with either an iTunes or Google Play gift card, a recommended list of mobile apps is a great way to give a unique gift that your customers have not received before.  It is probably a good idea to get to know your clients well enough to be able to recommend a few specific apps that will appeal to their interests.  But, even if you do not know your customers that well, you can still give personalized apps by recommending ones that are relevant for their company's industry.

This is a great way to show appreciation to your customers, as well as partners, during the holiday season while avoiding the impersonal touch of gift cards only.  A personalized message and a recommended list will show your clients that you really care and did not just slap something together in the last moments.

To read more about the perfect holiday gift this season on PC Mag, click here.

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Uncategorized

Nothing like a Good Comeback!

Nokia may be looking to make a comeback to the mobile phone market. According to USA Today, just last year, Nokia finalized a deal to sell its device and handset business to Microsoft for a whopping $7 billion.

Since the company made the deal with Microsoft, Nokia will be at a stand still when it comes to re-entering the mobile phone space…for now.  Per their agreement, Nokia will be able to get back into it near the end of 2016.

As of right now, Nokia is focused more on mobile networking and other technologies, and returning to the mobile phone industry will require a brand new approach. Nokia was a leader in the market until the emergence of smart phones and companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung.

It will be interesting to see Nokia re-enter the market, and what new approaches they will take to be successful in the mobile space.

Categories
Mobile Apps

“Your Kids Will Not Know What Money Is”

As soon as 2016, Apple is reported to be coming out with person-to-person mobile payments. With this, there is no question that Apple is looking to be the powerhouse and leader of mobile payment technology.

The system would be just like PayPal's Venmo, except with the convenience of being a part of your Apple device. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company has been in contact with a plethora of banks regarding the possibility of this new feature.

Apple is definitely looking to get ahead when it comes to getting away from using paper cash and it is very clear that Apple is looking for Apple Pay to be the “go to” option for mobile payments. Adding this new person-to-person feature is a smart move in growing its functionality. Apple's CEO Tim Cook spoke to a group of students in Ireland earlier this week, saying: “Your kids will not know what money is”.

(Source: Mashable)