What’s happened in digital this week:
- The UK government launched its initial guidelines for the midata initiative in which companies are strongly encouraged to release back personal data to their customers.
- The UK government received clearance to invest GBP500m in rural broadband, bringing superfast connections to far more places. In cities white space Wi-Fi will use the gaps between TV signals to create yet more bandwidth.
- Black Friday in the US saw significant shifts in online shopping behavior, with over USD 1bn spent in one day and 16% of sales (up from 10% last year) happening on Mobile devices, especially tablets.
What we have learned:
- 35% of The Guardian’s web traffic now comes from mobile up from 10% in early 2011, illustrating that mobile is now a mature scaled opportunity that needs to be a top priority for all in 2013.
- Around 40% of US mobile and tablet owners use their device whilst watching TV on a daily basis, part of the increasing body of evidence that dual screening is a mass-market behaviour.
Cool stuff:
- Big Data can power an MMO shopping experience, a cool idea for retail inspired by Japanese tradition.
- Sharkey the Beaver tells us a lot about where augmented reality technology maybe heading
Where to find more:
- Deep learning is a new idea gaining traction in Silicon Valley in which neural networks mimic the brain to perform tasks hitherto only completed by people.
- Google Fibre is now connecting customers in Kansas City and it seems to be a highly disruptive product.
- The Verge has an in depth report on the fight for the connected Living Room with analysis of all the major players and battlegrounds around the world.
