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Internet Trends report shows a surge in sharing, mobile overtaking PCs
Mary Meeker's Internet Report is often considered a technology bellwether, and it's certainly living up to that reputation in the 2013 study. This year, the dominating trend is sharing: Meeker has noticed that many more of us are willing to publish our media and location data. People worldwide now share over 500 million photos a day through services like Facebook and Snapchat, while Dropcam, Soundcloud, YouTube and Waze are also growing quickly. Americans aren't leading the trend, however. An estimated 15 percent of US internet users frequently share content online, while the world average is 24 percent. Other findings? If it wasn't evident before that mobile devices are taking over, it's quite clear now. The Internet Report shows tablet shipments overtaking PCs at the end of 2012; meanwhile, mobile internet traffic is quickly surpassing the desktop in countries like China and South Korea. Many companies are leaning heavily on mobile for their income, too. The full Internet Trends report is available after the break for additional insights, although it's currently bombarded by traffic -- have some patience if it doesn't load right away.
Google forms the Glass Collective to invest in eye technology entrepreneurs
Google believes that it's naive to build a wearable technology like Google Glass and expect successful businesses to simply materialize from thin air; those firms will need a financial nudge, too. Accordingly, Google is forming the Glass Collective to invest in projects centering on its eyewear. The partnership will see Google Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers unite on seed funding for those US-based startups which show promise in areas like communication and navigation. The group hasn't named any targets for its cash, but it's obviously very early days for both Glass and the Collective -- Google needs more developers in the field before it can shower companies with support. Update: According to TechCrunch, Google mentioned during the event that it hopes to get Glass hardware into developers hands "in the next month." Since it started preregistering folks at last year's I/O event, we'd also hope they will arrive in time for this year's Google I/O and inevitable skydive-to-stage live stream.
Internet Trends report finds online growth driven by China and India, users increasingly mobile
You probably don't need a 112 slide PowerPoint presentation from Mary Meeker and the venture capital firm KPCB to tell you this, but the Internet, she's getting bigger. Every year more and more people sign on and, not surprisingly, many of the 663 million netizens added over the last three years have come from developing nations like China and India. In fact, since 2008, China has accounted for almost a third of new web users, adding 215 million to the connected population. What also shouldn't come as a shock, is that the boon in connectivity is also being pushed by the broader availability of 3G data connections. Areas like India, China and Vietnam have all seen triple digit percentage growths in 3G penetration since last year. Wireless broadband has really exploded in India, where year over year growth in subscribers was 841 percent, though, that still only equates to a four percent penetration rate. For more info about the state of the internet and the world's 1.1 billion 3G subscribers hit up the source link.
iFund taken out for a Whrrl
At the iPhone SDK event back in March one of the most curious announcements was the existence of the $100 million iFund. Famed silicon valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers established it to "fund innovators developing applications, services, and components for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch platform." Now BusinessWeek is reporting the first two public iFund recipients: Whrrl and iControl.Whrrl is a kind of location based social networking service that allows you to "discover places, movies, and events by seeing where your friends are going." You can read (and leave) reviews of stores, restaurants, etc. Unfortunately, it's limited to 17 metro areas but they say new cities are being added regularly.iControl produces home monitoring and control products. So your iPhone would allow you to control home automation products (e.g. climate system, lighting, etc.) as well as monitor in home cameras and other security systems.Kleiner Perkins reports receiving over 1700 applications for the iFund and in addition to these two has made an offer to another, as yet undisclosed, startup. They are "seriously considering another 10."
Guess who's leaving EA? Bing goes!
EA co-founder and Chief Creative Officer (and mountain biker), William "Bing" Gordon, is leaving the monolithic publisher to join Silicon Valley venture capital firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) as a Partner. Gordon, who has been with EA for 25 years, won't be severing all ties before he goes, as he'll occasionally drop by to "lead periodic workshops on innovation with EA Studio leaders" under his fancy new title, Chief Creative Officer Emeritus. Over at KPCB, he'll be relied on to "provide his unique insight and expertise to entrepreneurs in consumer technologies" as of June 9, 2008. KPCB Partner John Doerr notes, "His success with dynamic and engaging digital entertainment and consumer media is invaluable for innovators in mobility, social networks, gaming and entertainment – indeed, in any area that interacts directly with consumers."As you've likely played at least one of the numerous franchises Gordon has been critically involved with -- Madden NFL, The Sims, Need for Speed, to name a few -- you may want to see what he has to share in a Q&A with Newsweek's N'Gai Croal. "As much as anything else, after 25 years at EA, I'm ready to be a forty-year old," says Gordon.They grow up so fast, don't they?Read -- AnnouncementRead -- Q&A
