Even though most Internet of Things (IoT) companies are currently focused on developing and selling connected hubs and platforms, the real business lies in selling services. As SmartThings’ recent partnership with Cross Country Home Services highlights, the profit for the connected platform lies in the service of timely, convenient home maintenance, facilitated by connecting homeowners with the warranty provider’s network of 150,000 contractors. Moreover, as homes get more connected, the massive amounts of data the sensors produce could reveal the flaws in generically set home insurance plans, potentially upending the whole home insurance industry.
Category: Percolate
Why Square Acquired Food Delivery Service Caviar
In addition to betting big on the upcoming change in credit card tech, mobile payment pioneer Square is also wagering millions of dollars, literally, on the food delivery services that are booming on mobile. The company has announced its acquisition of Caviar, a curated food delivery platform, reportedly for $90 million in stock. Caviar aims to set itself apart from other standard delivery apps by enabling ordering from restaurants that normally don’t offer delivery service. As on-the-go payment continues to grow, tapping into different sections of the consumer market is crucial to the development of Square, and incorporating mobile food ordering into its payment system is most likely just the first step.
ABC News Viewers Loves Watching Live on Apple TV
ABC News channel launched its native streaming app on Apple TV a month ago, and the viewers seems to be loving it. Due to the closed nature of Apple’s ecosystem, stats on app usage on their platform are rarely publicized, but today, ABC reported that ABC News users watch 50% more live video on Apple TV than on desktop and mobile combined. This report once again proves that the American audience is embracing over-the-top video channels.
Uber and Lyft Racing to Launch New Carpooling Feature
Yesterday, popular taxi-hailing app Uber unveiled the beta test of UberPool, a new carpooling feature that aims to match up Uber users who share a similar route and promises an additional 40% off to each rider compared to normal prices. Now Uber’s major competitor Lyft is also introducing its own carpooling feature, Lyft Line, which basically has the same carpooling function. Uber might have won attention from the press, but since its UberPool won’t be ready until next week, Lyft Line, which is already in use in San Francisco, leads in this lap. Whether the new carpooling features will help further erode car ownership remains to be seen, but competition is always good for the customers.
Tumblr: Better for Brands Than Facebook or Twitter?
Facebook and Twitter are the go-to channels that emarketers usually choose for social media marketing, but Tumblr says it just might have certain advantages over those two when it comes to brand engagement.
In comparison to Facebook and Twitter, branded content, especially the creative ones, enjoys a significantly longer shelf-life on Tumblr. As a result, this allows for greater earned engagement long after the content would have expired on other platforms. Furthermore, Tumblr offers a mix of video, text, and image-sharing tools that brands are utilizing to better engage with their audience.
Nanu: The Free-call App That Could Take Over The Emerging Markets
Nanu is a new Android app that boasts the ability to make free calls even via a slow 2G network connection, and more impressively, to non-Nanu users including landlines and mobile phone numbers. The calls are free because the app employs an ad-supported model where a short ad will play over the waiting tone before the calls are picked up. In the emerging global markets where 2G mobile network is still the norm, Nanu’s unique capacity would give it a definitive edge over its more bandwidth-demanding competitors, such as Skype and Viber. If the quality of Nanu’s Internet-based calls holds up, its price advantage over regular phonecall charges might even help it break into developed markets.
Why The New Planes Got Rid Of The Seat-Back TVs
If you’ve recently taken a flight on a brand new commercial plane, you may have noticed that the traditional in-flight entertainment system, namely those tiny screens embedded on the back of seats, has gone missing. This change is propelled by two major reasons. Firstly, flyers generally prefer using their own gadgets for personalized entertainment. Secondly, with the proliferation of in-flight WiFi, many airlines are charging a hefty fee for the Internet connection. This new development neatly dovetails with the rapid rise of OTT streaming services which will undoubtedly become popular entertainment options once available in-flight.
Find Out Which OTT Streaming Apps Are Coming To Fire TV
On top of the large number of over-the-top services that Fire TV already supports, a new array of branded video streaming apps, including WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney Jr., MLB.TV, Animal Planet L!ve, and the WWE Network, are all coming to the Amazon’s platform. Adding to its exclusive deal with Rovio to bring Angry Birds Family to Fire TV, it is obvious that Amazon is stocking up Fire TV’s content by drawing from diverse sources—welcome news to its customers.
Why Amazon Is Expanding Into The Local Service Market
For years, Amazon has been dominating global ecommerce by being the “everything store” of Internet. But one thing has been notably absent from Amazon’s offerings: services. Sure, you can buy customized 3D-printed toys from Amazon with just a few clicks, but you can’t use it to schedule a plumber to come and fix your toilet. That may be about to change.
According to Reuters, Amazon is reportedly closing in on the local services market that includes everything from handyman work to childcare. Its established infrastructure and existing relationship with online shoppers would make it a strong contender in local service market.
Messaging Apps Coming to Smartwatches
The vastly popular messaging app Whatsapp just released a beta update that offers support for Android Wear, extending its functionality beyond just receiving notifications on the smartwatch OS. New features introduced include stacked notification, complete preview of received messages and, most importantly, the ability to send and reply messages via voice-to-text dictation. By releasing this update, the Facebook-owned company becomes a pioneer in exploring messaging apps on wearable platforms, and more messaging apps can be expected to follow suit.
