US Wireless Carriers Will Become Innovators Again In 2014

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CARRIERS BECOME BROADCASTERS: U.S. wireless carriers have been seen as dinosaurs for the last couple of years, milking data revenue but not really adding much to the mobile industry. But that might change next year. Verizon will test out its new LTE Broadcast technology at the upcoming National Football League Super Bowl. LTE Broadcast will allow Verizon to transmit a video feed of the game to devices that are congregated in the same area, so that fans might follow along on their mobile screens. This makes the Super Bowl, a large event gathering, the perfect place to test out transmitting video feeds to a multitude of devices. It's a unique way for wireless carriers to tap into the growing popularity of mobile video.

CONNECTED CARS EMBRACE LTE: One way that wireless carriers can stake their claim on the connected car - one of 2014's hottest new markets - is by working with auto manufacturers to directly link a car over the LTE network. Most of the previous attempts at linking the car to a network were done over antiquated 2G connections. To monetize, carriers can sell their LTE-linked data services directly to drivers. (Gigaom)

In other news...

iOS VS. ANDROID IN 2014: Expect more devices running Android than ever before, including even PCs, but Apple is still the winner for user interactions. (Mobile Marketer)

QUOTE OF THE DAY - BLACKBERRY CEO JOHN CHEN: "Today, our company is strong financially, technologically savvy and is well-positioned for the future. In less than two months, my team and I have engineered a new strategy to stabilize the company, return to our core strength in enterprise and security, and maximize efficiencies." (CNBC)

PERFECTING THE PUSH: Push notifications are an important vehicle for marketing to mobile customers. Ad Week takes a look at how simple A/B testing of push notifications can lead to a dramatic lift in consumer engagement rates. (Ad Week)

GOOGLE CHAIRMAN: "Mobile has won." Google chairman Eric Schmidt recently spoke to Bloomberg TV about what he feels will stand out in the tech world next year in 2014. Schmidt said that the mobile trend has already progressed so far that he now thinks mobile has "won." (Bloomberg TV)

GOOD READ: Mat Honan, senior writer at Wired, spent a year using the developer version of the upcoming smart eyewear product Google Glass. Some key takeaways from his review: He believes Glass is ultimately still a year or so away from truly innovative and disruptive apps and features. Also, he switched smartphones from an iPhone to a Nexus 4 Android phone to improve tethering with Glass, suggesting suggesting that although Glass will be compatible with iPhones, it may be intended to push people toward Android devices. (Wired)