Ramping Up: Mary Meeker’s Latest Mobile Trend Slides

Today, Kleiner Perkins partners Mary Meeker (the former Internet analyst-turned-venture-capitalist) and Matt Murphy are giving a presentation at Google’s thinkmobile conference for its biggest 200 advertisers. The complete slideshow is above, and it goes through ten mobile trends Kleiner is following and investing in. Meeker’s slideshows are always insightful, and she’s been focusing on mobile the past few years.

But in particular the first three slides are real eye-openers. The first one shows the acceleration of mobile device adoption from the iPod to the iPad. In the first three quarters after the introduction of the iPod, 236,000 units were shipped. When the iPhone came out, it hit 3.7 million units shipped in its third quarter, but then the iPad blew both of its predecessors out of the water with 14.8 million devices shipped.

This second slide shows why iTunes needs to be renamed to simply the App Store. There have been 10 billion apps downloaded from iTunes versus only about 624 million songs. ‘Nuff said.

Finally, Android is no slouch either. More than 70 million Android phones have been shipped so far, with Android now outpacing iPhone shipments. And in the fourth quarter, overall shipments of smartphones and tablets surpassed PC shipments for the first time. Global mobile data traffic is projected to grow 26 times over the next five years. Welcome to the new era.

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Startup Lets Music Fans Request Radio Play via Facebook & Twitter

Remember the old days, when you used to call in to request that the DJs over at KXPY play “Kiss From a Rose” on the “Phat 5 at 9?? Well, you no longer need to dial to request, as startup Spins.FM has made the process super simple via a new web service.

The service, which launches in public beta today, is pretty easy to use. Simply visit the Spins.FM site, search for the song you want, choose your location from a map, and the service is able to find a list of local stations. Choose a station, and either post a request to that station’s Twitter or Facebook Wall — all from within Spins.FM.

According to David Baker, founder of Spins.FM, the service has already enlisted artists like Mike Posner, Bryan J, Mann and Travis Porter to test out the service with customized artist pages. Spins.FM will also soon be working with Jive Records artists –including Britney Spears (the service had received more than 1,400 requests for “Hold It Against Me” before Spears’s page had even gone live).

Baker cites Posner as a particular success story — his page went live back in April, at which time his song “Cooler Than Me” hadn’t been picked up by any stations. Three months later, the page had 14,692 unique visitors, and the song was ranking quite well on the Billboard U.S. pop radio charts.

Baker realizes that Spins.FM was not the sole reason for the song’s success, but he does think that it helped the jam get early spins on the radio.

Starting today, any artist can attempt to mimic Posner’s success by signing onto the service for free — features like custom design and metrics will come with a fee, though. Request pages can also be embedded on websites and featured as a tab on Facebook.

At this juncture, you may be wondering: “Who the hell even listens to the radio? What good does that even do for artists?”

According to Baker, “Despite the popularity of Internet radio among fans, from a business perspective, terrestrial radio is still the driving force behind paid iTunes downloads and demand for nationwide shows and appearances. With Spins.FM artists and labels now have the ability to use social media to drastically increase radio play at a fraction of the cost of traditional radio promotion.”

Adam Farrell, VP of Marketing at Beggars Group, would tend to agree. “In general, I’d say that no matter how much we think all music discovery happens online these days and is what everyone talks about, the silent majority out there still listens to the radio.”

Still, while we can see this service being a boon to established musicians and those on major labels — and we like that any artists can add themselves to the roster — we wonder if it will be of any use to those artists who don’t generally get radio play.

Kip Berman, lead singer of the band The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, says that it’s hard for indie bands like his (which is signed to Slumberland Records) to get on the radio. “It’s actually a really big deal for a band like ours that doesn’t normally get on those kinds of playlists,” he adds, joking that his grandma habitually lobbies for the band to get on the radio. “So if a DJ gets a Comic Sans e-mail from someone named Kaye requesting Pains,” he says, “well, her grandson says ‘Thank you!’”

We wonder what effect Spin.FM will have on the careers of bands not yet in the Britney Spears firmament, or if it will be a more useful marketing tool for established musicians alone.

Photo courtesy of Flickr, João Pedro, uai!

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WiFi-only Motorola Xoom tablet does its FCC duty, silver version spotted in Dubai (video)

We heard some weird reports over the weekend that the 3G Motorola Xoom tablet couldn't be sold unless you bought at least one month of wireless data. That, plus the groan-inducing $800 MSRP, is surely giving some potential buyers a wee bit of pause. This might help. Crossing the wires at the FCC is what appears to be a WiFi-only version of the Xoom, called a "wireless tablet with embedded WLAN." It's lacking a 3G radio so, unless Moto has another trick up its sleeves, this is probably that. Obviously any speculation on price would be highly... speculative, but here's to hoping ditching that modem brings this thing down a Benjamin or so. Also spotted, this time in Dubai but also embedded below, was a silver version of the Xoom, sporting a two-tone back that will nicely complement your Casio Data Bank calculator watch. No word on whether we'll get that on these shores, but we hope so. Variety is, dear readers, the spice of life.

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Bloomberg: Apple working on 'cheaper, smaller' and dual-mode iPhones, trying to kill SIMs along the way

By Chris Ziegler posted Feb 10th 2011 4:34PM Bloomberg is citing -- you guessed it -- "people who have been briefed on the plans" as saying that Apple is hard at work on taking the iPhone downmarket with a new model that's roughly one-third smaller than the existing iPhone 4, possibly with the intent on delivering it midyear using mostly carryover components from the iPhone 4 to keep pricing down. Thing is, Bloomberg says that Apple is looking at launching the "cheaper" model at $200 off contract, which would be the same as the 16GB iPhone 4 on contract currently. Let's not understate the fact that $200 off contract is dirt cheap by modern smartphone standards, which means Apple would have to be using every scrap of its enormous economies of scale to pull that off. In all likelihood, in fact, it'd have to abandon the 3.5-inch Retina Display -- it might be too big for a "smaller" model anyhow. The pub goes on to say that the device could've been delayed or scrapped altogether since its source saw the device last year, but it's something to keep an eye on; after all, Apple's probably leaving money on the table right now by failing to go after the midrange with a current-generation handset, so this could be its golden opportunity.

Moving on, they're also saying Apple's working on a dual-mode iPhone that'd work on both CDMA and GSM -- not a surprise at all, really (if anything, it was a little surprising to us that Apple didn't kill off the existing GSM iPhone 4 and replace all SKUs with CDMA / GSM ones when it announced the Verizon model). There's no mention of whether this model would have any manner of 4G support, but CDMA, GSM, and LTE in a single phone -- with at least five bands, if not more -- would be pretty wild indeed.

Finally, Bloomberg says (and our own sources have corroborated) that Apple's working on a so-called "Universal SIM" technology that would eliminate physical SIMs altogether and make using the iPhone on different networks a simple matter of provisioning, not unlike American CDMA networks today. Of course, this rumor's been through the mill before -- and has already been killed off -- so it's hard to say whether this is something Apple is actively working on or has been shelved. The device independence afforded by the SIM has been one of the chief advantages of GSM networks around the world over the past twenty years, and we'd hate to see Apple succeed in killing that off in favor of some sort of locked-up iTunes nonsense, but let's be honest: if anyone could pull off that kind of coup, it'd be Cupertino. More on all these rumors as we hear it.

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T2 is not a cyborg, is the new more colorful Traktor

Native Instruments Announces the next TRAKTOR
Generation

Revised DJ software and digital vinyl systems offer enhanced creative
versatility and usability, include new range of DJ audio interfaces

Berlin, February 10th, 2011 – Native Instruments today announced the
new TRAKTOR generation, which establishes the next level of power and
ease-of-use with its TRAKTOR PRO 2 software and TRAKTOR SCRATCH
PRO 2 digital vinyl system. Based on versatile new software features and
a revised audio interface line, the new product generation expands the
lead of Native Instruments' TRAKTOR range and gives DJs even more
creative possibilities.

The new TRAKTOR generation is based on a revised high-visibility GUI
for intuitive operation under all conditions, and now offers up to four
powerful Sample Decks as well as the unique Loop Recorder. While each
Sample Deck can add up to four simultaneous samples or loops to the
mix, the Loop Recorder allows DJs to capture audio from various sources
on the fly and drop it back into the mix at any time, opening up creative
techniques far beyond conventional DJing.

A further major innovation of the new TRAKTOR generation is the new
"TruWave" technology. By displaying tracks and samples in all four decks
with high-resolution multi-colored waveforms, it gives deep insight into
the spectral properties of the music, visualizing both individual rhythmic
elements as well as general sonic characteristics. With four selectable
color schemes, an extra-wide zoom range and subpixel-accuracy
waveform rendering, TruWave allows DJs to read their tracks visually for
even more intuitive mixing.

The leading synchronization features in TRAKTOR have been further
expanded with a new "SoftSync" function that provides a unique
combination of convenient automatic beat-matching and hands-on
control. By keeping the tempo of multiple tracks in sync without
manipulating the phase, SoftSync accommodates the widest possible
range of mixing techniques both in TRAKTOR PRO 2 and in TRAKTOR
SCRATCH PRO 2. The effect selection of TRAKTOR has also been
expanded with four additional types that offer unique ways to create
dramatic breakdowns and other typical performance effects, including a
tape delay emulation and the new "Bouncer", increasing the arsenal to
an unparalleled assortment of over 30 algorithms.

The timecode-controlled TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2 combines the new
software generation with the new TRAKTOR AUDIO 10 interface, which
offers additional I/O, improved signal chain monitoring and a versatile
new bypass functionality over the previous AUDIO 8 model. With its true
analog "Direct Thru" functionality that can be controlled directly from
the TRAKTOR 2 software, TRAKTOR AUDIO 10 allows for easier
switchovers between DJ sets and is ideally suited for club installation.

Most features of the new TRAKTOR generation can also be found in the
new TRAKTOR DUO 2 versions, which offer a classic two-deck
configuration with additional dual sample decks and a compact effect
selection at an especially affordable price, with TRAKTOR SCRATCH
DUO 2 including the new TRAKTOR AUDIO 6 interface.

For the TRAKTOR KONTROL S4 system, the new TRAKTOR PRO 2 will
replace the originally included TRAKTOR PRO S4 software. All KONTROL
S4 owners will receive a download upgrade free of charge.

Pricing and availability

All products within the new TRAKTOR PRO 2 generation will be available
in stores in April 2011. Suggested retail pricing:

TRAKTOR PRO 2 - $229 / 199 €

TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2 - $669 / 599 €

TRAKTOR DUO 2 - $119 / 99 €

TRAKTOR SCRATCH DUO 2 - $399 / 349 €

Update and upgrade pricing is available on the NI website.

Further product information and press material

Additional information on the TRAKTOR 2 generation is available at

www.native-instruments.de/traktor

A digital press kit including picture material is available at

www.native-instruments.com/press.info

International Press Contact

Constantin Köhncke
Public Relations Manager
E-Mail: constantin.koehncke@native-instruments.de
Phone: +49 (0)30 - 61 10 35 – 1600

About Native Instruments

Native Instruments is a leading manufacturer of software and hardware
for computer-based music production and DJing. The company's mission
is to develop innovative, fully integrated solutions for all professions,
styles and genres. The resulting products regularly push technological
boundaries and open up new creative horizons for professionals and
amateurs alike.

Native Instruments opened up the fascinating world of real-time sound
synthesis on standard computers in 1996, and today offers an extensive
product range for musicians, producers and DJs. The company currently
employs around 250 people in its two offices in Berlin and Los Angeles,
and works closely with more than 40 international distribution partners to
ensure its future growth and success.

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Starbucks CEO Invests in Groupon, Joins Board of Directors

Starbucks Chairman, President and CEO Howard Schultz is joining Groupon‘s board of directors Thursday.

This news is predicated on Schultz’ venture capital firm’s investment in Groupon. Maveron LLC, a firm with offices in Seattle and San Francisco, has given Groupon an undisclosed amount of funding.

Groupon recently closed a colossal $950 million Series D from Andreessen Horowitz, Battery Ventures, DST, Greylock Partners, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Maverick Capital, Silver Lake and Technology Crossover Ventures.

Considering Starbucks’s focus on social media marketing and Groupon’s focus on large, national brands, the relationship makes sense.

In fact, we recently named Starbucks one of the top five brands that use social media particularly well. The company’s Foursquare experiments in consumer rewards have yielded interesting case studies in a still-young space, and the brand’s participation in social media has shown unquestionable return on investment.

Groupon founder and CEO Andrew Mason said in a release, “As CEO of one of the world’s most iconic brands, Howard is an invaluable addition to the Groupon board. His experience in building the culture and business of Starbucks and his relentless focus on innovation to improve customer experiences brings a unique combination of skills to our Board of Directors.”

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The Engadget Show returns next Thursday, February 17th

By Chad Mumm posted Feb 10th 2011 5:13PM Gentlemen and ladies, it's that time again -- that's right, the Engadget Show is back next Thursday, February 17th! We'll have more details for you on Monday, but clear your schedules, cancel your hot dates, put down Dead Space 2, and get yourself to New York City next Thursday. As usual, we'll be streaming live right here on Engadget, but you'll have to trust us when we say you're gonna want to be at this one in person. Stay tuned!

If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com.

Subscribe to the Show:

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
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