Nokia Acquires Twango

Nokia has acquired privately-held Twango (www.Twango.com). Twango provides a comprehensive media sharing solution for organizing and sharing photos, videos and other personal media. By acquiring Twango, Nokia will be able to offer people an easy way to share multimedia content through their desktop and mobile devices. In addition to key assets, through this transaction Nokia will gain a seasoned team with strong social media and web services expertise.

Unlike many other social media services, Twango supports multiple media types and offers a comprehensive array of options for people to manage, share, and repurpose their personal media content. Twango offers a great destination experience on desktop computers and mobile devices, as well as a powerful platform that allows developers to create companion applications, connect with mobile devices and integrate with other web services. Through the resources gained in the acquisition, Twango plans to aggressively build its team, working to deliver a superior global media sharing service.

Non-SMS Data Revenues Increase

Global mobile data revenues from services other than SMS exceeded $10 billion in 1Q07 according to Informa’s World Cellular Data Metrics (WCDM). The total of $11.3 billion compares with $8.1 billion in 1Q06. The figure means that nearly one third of mobile data revenues now come from non-SMS services, suggesting operators’ investments in advanced technologies are finally reaping rewards.

But this does not mean the end of the road for SMS. Worldwide SMS traffic was up year-on-year by around 50 percent to more than 620 billion messages in 1Q07 according WCDM. SMS revenues were up 23 percent over the same period, helping total data revenues to reach $34.3 billion in the quarter, the highest ever. The higher increase in SMS traffic compared to revenue reflects lower SMS tariffs and the greater availability of bundled packages.

Out of 70 operators tracked in WCDM, the proportion of data revenues coming from non-SMS ranged vastly, from just one percent (Vodafone Egypt) to over 70 percent (KTF, Korea).

Employees Waste 20% of the Work Day

According to Salary.com’s 2007 Wasting Time Survey, the average American employee wastes 1.7 hours of a typical 8.5 hour work day. This is the third year Salary.com has conducted the survey and, while the amount of wasted time has steadily declined, companies are still paying billions in salaries for which they receive no direct benefit.

As in previous years, personal Internet use (34.7 percent of respondents), socializing with co-workers (20.3 percent) and conducting personal business (17 percent) remain the leading time-wasting activities. Respondents also report making personal phone calls and taking long breaks to run errands while on the job.

Interestingly, the reasons for wasting time cover both extremes. While many employees admit to wasting time because they “don’t have enough work to do” (17.7 percent), the second most popular, and somewhat contradictory, response is “my hours are too long” (13.9 percent). Employees also cite being underpaid (11.8 percent) and a lack of challenging work (11.1 percent) as reasons for slacking on the job.

Think You Might Be Addicted to E-Mail?

If you’re sleeping with a portable device next to your pillow so you will not miss an e-mail during the night, you’re not alone. According to AOL’s third annual “E-Mail Addiction” survey, more Americans than ever before are using portable devices to keep tabs on their e-mail from virtually anywhere — bed, car, bathroom and even church.

“E-mail is becoming more and more accessible, and people continue to take advantage of that,” said Regina Lewis, AOL Online consumer adviser. “As the survey data shows, portable devices — like e-mail itself — are becoming more prevalent and easier to use. Because you can access e-mail services from virtually anywhere and on almost any wireless device, it is easier to stay connected to work, home, family and friends through e-mail than any other form of communication.”

The AOL survey showed that e-mail use on portable devices has nearly doubled since 2004. According to the survey, the average e-mail user checks mail about five times a day, and 59 percent of those with portable devices are using them to check e-mail every time a new message arrives. Forty-three percent of e-mail users with portable devices say they keep the device nearby when they are sleeping to listen for incoming mail.

With or without portable devices, 15 percent of Americans describe themselves as “addicted to e-mail.” May people even plan their vacations with e-mail access in mind and 83 percent of e-mail users admit to checking their mail once a day while actually on vacation.

Other significant survey findings:

• Women (16 percent) are more likely to describe themselves as addicted to e-mail than men (13 percent), and are actually spending 15 minutes more per day on e-mail than men.

• Forty-three percent of e-mail users check their e-mail first thing in the morning, and 40 percent have checked their e-mail in the middle of the night. Twenty-six percent admit to checking e-mail on a laptop in bed while in their pajamas.

• Sixty percent of people who e-mail admit to checking their personal e-mail at work an average of three times a day. While only 15 percent of those who do so have been “busted” by their bosses, 28 percent say they feel guilty about it.

According to Lewis, e-mail addiction has less to do with curbing an obsession than it does with proper time and e-mail management. She offers the following tips to help people deal with “e-mail addiction”:

• Organize: Use folders provided in most free e-mail services to file messages appropriately. Simple drag-and-drop technology allows you to file your messages by category, and can help avoid repetitive communication.

• Use the away message: If you feel compelled to answer every e-mail as it comes in, use your away message to let people know that you have stepped away from e-mail for the day (or night), and will respond when you return.

• Follow the Rule of Three: If you have e-mailed back and forth with the same person on the same topic more than three times, it’s time to pick up the phone and have a conversation.

New Service to Emulate

As cities grow in population, sometimes it takes the World Wide Web to discover that your neighbor wants to offer you something you need. HireAHelper.com is predicted to be part of the new wave of web-based communities that combine eCommerce and the service industry.

Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com lead the web-based job search engines helping businesses and professionals find each other. Craigslist.com opened the door for a casual community where individuals can buy, sell and trade everything from items to ideas with people in their local areas.

HireAHelper.com unites amateurs with local do-it-your-selfers through a convenient search for affordable service. At the site, individuals who are interested in work advertise their services, name their price and find one-time or occasional jobs that fit around their schedule. Customers at the site pay with a credit card and then review the helpers — giving them a reputation and allowing them to charge more.

It is common to buy all sorts of items online, now HireAHelper.com allows individuals to buy cheap local help, whether it be a house cleaner, gardener, general day labor or local movers to make everyday chores easier and less expensive than hiring a professional.