Explicit Search Versus Search Share: Market Share Depends on How You Count

As with many other things in life, how one counts affects the results. The same thing is true with measures of search share: how one counts makes a difference.

One can count Google slideshows, contextual search in places like Yahoo News, and Google Instant, or one can count only search terms entered into search boxes.

Using the former technique, every time you go through a slideshow on Yahoo, for instance, related search results appear below, inflating the numbers.

The latter approach strips out those numbers to come up with what it calls “explicit search,” which counts only those searches triggered when someone actually types a query into a search box.

New HTC Sensation Offers Improved Video, Audio, Sense Interface

The new HTC "Sensation" will be available on the T-Mobile USA network, and is said to offer better video and audio quality, plus a new version of the "Sense" interface.

Over-the-Top Video Seen as a DVR, Accenture Survey Shows

Users seem to using much of their non-TV viewing, especially over-the-top, as a substitute for digital video recorders. That is to say, they see online video as a 'catch up' service that allows them to watch a program they have missed when it was shown on some linear TV service, according to a new Accenture survey.

When it comes to choosing their favorite Internet broadband features, the largest number of respondents (40 percent) said "catch-up TV," which enables them to watch content that they may have missed, provided the greatest value. Only 14 percent of respondents said the top feature was Web surfing on their televisions and only 11 percent desire interactive and social networking functionality on a TV.

Those findings might surprise some, who have suggested that large numbers of consumers want advanced new interactive features on TVs. The survey actually indicates what people want is the ability to watch programs on their own schedule, which arguably has been a high driver of end user value for decades, with VCRs being an early indicator.

The Accenture survey suggests that, by whatever means, viewers want to "watch what they want, when they want it," a trend that has been clear for decades.

Over-the-Top Video Seen as a DVR, Accenture Survey Shows

Apple Ready To Launch Video Service?

Apple is preparing to launch a video service taking on Netflix, argues Jefferies analyst Peter Misek. Misek says Apple will use its new massive data center in North Carolina to offer an advanced web-based video subscription product, and likely will use a revenue sharing model similar to the App Store, giving content owners 70 percent of the revenue.

Apple will likely prove a formidable competitor if it does so, for one reason. As it has done in the past, Apple is likely to use the service to sell more of its devices. As elsewhere these days, the most dangerous competitors are those who are willing to essentially give away or merchandise something of value because doing so helps a firm sell more of what it really make its money doing. In Apple's case, music, apps and video are just interesting bits of software that help it sell more devices.

That obviously is dangerous for other providers, including cable companies and Netflix, that make their money from video subscriptions.

HTC also is launching its own mobile video service, for the same reasons.

Apple Ready To Launch "Far Reaching" Video Service That Will Disrupt Traditional TV Business

LivingSocial & Next Jump Partner

Within the next few months, LivingSocial deals will be available through Next Jump's loyalty and rewards programs, currently in place with more than 90,000 networks such as MasterCard MarketPlace and Hilton HHonors. The deal gives LivingSocial reach of more than 100 million eligible users.

In addition to handpicked deals, customers will also have the opportunity to earn Next Jump "WOWPoints" for each offer.

LivingSocial & Next Jump Partner to Bring Daily Deals to More Than 100 Million Users - Yahoo! Finance

HTC to launch new mobile video service

HTC is launching its own mobile video on demand service, with Vodafone in Europe and T-Mobile USA.

The "HTC Watch" service enables users to watch videos from a library of the latest movies and TV shows without having to wait for the content to finish downloading. The service will offer the choice of renting or buying videos, and, if purchased, lets users watch them on up to five different HTC devices.

HTC to launch new video service phone on Vodafone | Reuters

LTE "As Good as Fixed Line"

Tests recently conducted by Epitiro on TeliaSonera Finland's Long Term Evolution network confirm what some hope, and some fear: “Based on our observations, this LTE rollout is directly comparable to high-speed fixed line services,” said Jon Curley, CTO, Epitiro. “Further, the low latency times measured indicate the Finnish LTE service is capable of handling the most demanding of web-based applications including VoIP, video streaming and even HD IPTV."

In other words, given enough bandwidth, an LTE network performs as well as a fixed-line network.

Thw rests recorded peak broadband download speeds of 48Mbps (36.1Mbps mean). Mean latency was just 23 milliseconds.

Epitiro simultaneously tested TeliaSonera’s legacy 3G network and found that LTE delivered mean download speeds nine times faster (3G=4.1Mbps) and its latency was five times better (3G=117 ms).

Analysis of IP calls to the United Kingdom, made using voice over LTE (VoLTE), found the quality to be ‘excellent’ on average; measured according to ITU-T PESQ MOS analysis algorithms, with only 1 call in 298 being of inferior quality.

http://www.epitiro.com/index.php?id=267