Power is shifting inside of Qualcomm’s offices in Japan.

Late Thursday, word surfaced that the mobile technologies firm would be shuffling some talent.

For starters, Qualcomm announced the appointment of Clifford Ficke as vice president and president of Qualcomm Japan.

Ficke will oversee Qualcomm’s operations in Japan and will report to Jing Wang, executive vice president and president of Global Business Operations.

Jun Yamada, who made significant contributions to Qualcomm’s business growth in Japan since 2005, will transition from his current role as senior vice president and president of Qualcomm Japan to senior advisor, providing continued guidance as Qualcomm focuses on driving new Qualcomm technologies in Japan.

“Jun’s guidance and leadership has been instrumental to the development and expansion of Qualcomm’s operation in Japan,” said Wang. “As one of the most advanced mobile markets worldwide, Japan continues to fuel innovation and present significant business opportunities for Qualcomm. Cliff’s extensive experience and proven track record in the semiconductor industry will be invaluable in driving Qualcomm’s business in Japan as the industry continues to introduce advanced mobile technologies.”

Read more... [Qualcomm Confirms Leadership Shakeup in Japan]

Forget smartphones and tablets. Could Apple be the next Ford or General Motors?

If that sounds far fetched, you may want to think again. According to published reports this week, Steve Jobs – as recently as early 2011, in the months before his passing – envisioned a so-called “iCar” to be manufactured by the Cupertino, California-based tech giant.

“Look at the car industry, it’s a tragedy in America. Who’s designing the cars?” says J. Crew CEO and Apple board member Mickey Drexler in a revealing new interview highlighted by Business Insider. “Steve’s dream before he died was to design an iCar and I think it would’ve been probably 50% of the market. He never did design it.”

Although it isn’t known if such a product is still on the drawing board at Apple, Drexler didn’t rule out the prospect of an iCar in the future.

Even though Jobs never did make a car, some analysts predict that Apple may still have a future in the auto industry by working with car companies to integrate some of its products into vehicles.

More than likely, however, Apple’s next new product category will be a connected iOS-powered HDTV.

Read more... [Is Apple Going Into The Automobile Industry]

T-Mobile made a bold move with mobile broadband on Thursday, as the carrier announced its new, flexible and so-called “worry-free No Annual Contract mobile broadband service passes.”

The passes will debut May 20th.

According to T-Mobile, the passes will make it easier for customers to enjoy access to high-speed Internet on the go.

With T-Mobile’s new, more affordable No Annual Contract data passes, customers can experience T-Mobile’s blazing-fast 4G network speeds across a variety of mobile broadband devices including tablets, mobile hotspots and laptop sticks – with no strings attached.

T-Mobile is hoping to attract new fans with the key phrase that the mobile masses respond best to: no contract required.

The passes to be made available are as follow:

• 300MB 1-week pass for $15
• 1.5GB 1-month pass for $25
• 3.5GB 1-month pass for $35
• 5GB 1-month pass for $50

“Although most of our mobile broadband customers choose postpaid rate plans for the best device prices and data rates, we know that many of our customers want the flexibility to be able to experience mobile broadband without committing to an annual contract up front,” said Jeremy Korst, vice president of marketing at T-Mobile.

Read more... [T-Mobile to Serve Up Mobile Broadband Without Contract]

The biggest initial public offering in recent years will take place today on Wall Street.

After years of rumors about an inevitable IPO, Friday, May 18, 2012 delivers the moment of truth for the largest social network on the planet.

“If the Facebook IPO is to succeed,” says CNBC’s Jeff Cox, “it will have to overcome a less-than-stellar history of similar technology offerings that started quickly out of the gate but faltered shortly thereafter.”

Earlier this week, Facebook confirmed plans to price shares at $38. As of Friday, Facebook’s market cap looms near $81 billion.

Following the IPO, the company’s total valuation may approach $107 billion.

“Everybody is thinking about the year 2000: Are these real companies, or is this the tech bubble all over again?” asks Nadav Baum, executive vice president at BPU Investment Management. “Everybody’s on Facebook. But how are they going to make money?“

The process of answering that question begins this morning when FB begins trading on NASDAQ.

Read more... [Facebook IPO Moment of Truth Arrives]

Android apps on the Windows phone? Looks like it’s happening in the near future. That’s according to a new report today highlighting how Microsoft may put to use new patent technology that will let users experience applications from competing operating systems like iOS and Android on the Windows Phone.

“Microsoft wants to patent an app migration service that would have a few different layers of functionality,” says Vlad Bobleanta of the Unwired View. “First off, it could analyze what apps you have installed on, say an Android device (Microsoft even uses this example in its patent application). Then it would search for identical or similar apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace, present you with suggestions, and let you buy and install every app you want to with one click.”

“In case an official app isn’t available in the WP Marketplace,” he adds, “this would presumably suggest well-performing third-party alternatives.”

For Microsoft, the move may be surprising to some smartphone owners but it may also be essential for the company. According to ABI Research, 36 billion mobile applications will be downloaded this year, with Windows Phone devices claiming just 2 percent of that massive number.

Read more... [Microsoft May Deliver Android iOS Apps on Windows Phone]

On Friday, investors across the board “liked” Facebook on a day when stocks generally traded mixed in what has turned out to be a choppy trading session ahead of the weekend.

Facebook traded above $40 after an initial 10 percent spike in its first day as a public company.

Earlier this week, the social network priced its stock at $38 a share, at the high end of the anticipated range.

Today’s market debut ushered in the largest Internet IPO in Wall Street history.

It remains to be seen, however, if FB can maintain any long-term investor enthusiasm at a time when the markets are falling back into heavy selling on no shortage of risk aversion among the masses.

As of this writing, both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 are on track for a 6th straight trading session decline.

Read more... [Facebook Delivers Biggest Internet IPO in History]

Local ad spending is getting really comfortable in mobile territory. That’s the newest discovery by BIA/Kelsey, which shows that local advertising spending will experience a compound annual growth rate of 2.6 percent between 2011 and 2016.

During that time, revenues are projected to climb from $132 billion to well over $150 billion.

BIA/Kelsey expects spending to increasingly shift from traditional media and direct advertising to digital alternatives. Mobile and online will account for the largest increase in local ad spending, nearly doubling from $11.1 billion in 2011 to $21.8 billion in five years.

“While we expect to see changes in ad spending in some advertising categories, it is significant to note that television and radio continue to hold their own, while out-of-home, online and mobile are having an impact on the overall share,” said Mark Fratrik, vice president and chief economist at BIA/Kelsey. “Newspapers are also positioned very well to continue to drive online ad revenues.”

BIA/Kelsey defines local media advertising as advertising placed on local media outlets, including national, regional and local ads on radio stations,

“Media buyers require not only the big picture but the granular one as well,” said Fratrik. “Our approach to Media Ad View this year was to analyze and report it from every possible angle to help ad managers better understand where the money is flowing in both the national and local markets. Read more... [Local Ad Spending Makes a Big Move to Mobile]

The winds of change are blowing for The Weather Channel App for iOS.

On Thursday, The Weather Channel companies (TWCC) announced a major re-design of The Weather Channel App for iPhone and iPod touch.

The Weather Channel App, available now on the App Store, offers a simpler interface and a visually stunning design for a more personal weather experience.

If it seems like it’s been a while since the last refresh, you’re right. This is the first major redesign of the app since 2009.

According to details provided by the company today, the refreshed app displays an immediate view of weather conditions that conveys the feel of the weather and offers increased personalization and social integration.

“Our new app is more relevant – whether it’s showing a beautiful image that displays your local weather or allowing you to save your own personalized home screen image, it’s more about the weather and content that matters to each consumer,” said Cameron Clayton, executive vice president of digital product at The Weather Channel companies. “We’ve made changes based on consumer feedback to engage users through a deeper and more emotional weather experience.

The Weather Channel App is touted as offering each consumer tailored, more immediate weather and interaction for a richer understanding of how weather impacts his or her day.

To check out a demo of the new app for yourself, Read more... [iOS Weather Channel App Proves Sunny with a Chance of Upgrade]

Although monetizing mobile users has been a problem for Facebook, getting people to access the social network through their mobile device hasn’t been tough at all.

With nearly 500 million people regular Facebook users, more and more information regarding the social network’s mobile popularity is coming to light.

According to a report Thursday from NPD Group, Facebook’s app and website were accessed by nearly three-fourths of U.S. Android smartphone users in March, making it the most used social networking website and app on the Android platform.

Facebook is maintaining its social networking strength as the proportion of Android smartphone users accessing its mobile app and website has held steady over the past six months. Facebook users spend over 15 minutes a day, almost 470 minutes a month, using the Facebook app on their Android smartphones. While it’s half the time users spend on a mobile game, the fluid nature of social networking apps translates into frequent dips – with Facebook users opening the app an average of 6 times per day.

“Ultimately, Facebook’s mobile success rests on delivering compelling mobile app and web experiences, and monetizing on these experiences,” said Linda Barrabee, research director at NPD Connected Intelligence. “In order to do this, Facebook needs to ensure that monetization efforts via advertising enhance and do not disrupt the mobile social consumer experience; and with Facebook’s IPO Read more... [Android Users Dominate Facebook Mobile Access]

Internet search giant Google quietly announced yesterday a major new development in the mobile space for Android and Sprint fans.

Sprint customers in the US can now pay for all Google Play purchases directly through their phone bill.

That was the big announcement from Google this week, underscoring how Sprint Nextel can now charge all Google Play digital content purchases to their wireless bill.

Now when users go to purchase an app, they have the choice of billing the purchase to their credit card, mobile wallet, or Sprint account.

“The move,” reports Engadget, “leaves Verizon as the only major US carrier without a carrier billing option, so you’ll have to sit tight if you own the original US Galaxy Nexus and hate the thought of a separate download bill.”

Do you plan to begin charging app purchases to your Sprint bill or does the old model work better for you?

Read more... [Google Announces New Partnership with Sprint]