Kids go digital says NMA research

Research on children's digital habits published by new media age reveals some very interesting trends.

The report states that "nine out of ten 8-15-year-olds have a mobile phone, with almost one in six (57.4%) using their handsets to go online."

It goes on to say that: "Facebook is the most popular social network, with 75% of kids saying they’re members. This includes 53% of 8-12-year-olds."

However, content producers and digital platform providers need to note that these tech-savvy young people weren't born yesterday: they have the power to punish those who overstep the mark by over-selling, inappropriate content or other 'uncool' behaviour.

Supreme Smartphones

The "Tech & Net" pages of yesterday's Sunday Times ingear supplement listed the handful of Smartphones that made the headlines at this year's Mobile World Congress.

Here's the list, with links to the manufacturers' own pages so you can decide:

Samsung Galaxy
INQ Cloud Touch (one of many Facebook phones)
LG Optimus
HTC Wildfire
Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY (PlayStation phone)
HP Veer

Interestingly, all but the HP (nee Palm) use the Android operating system, which is indicative of that platform's rise to prominence. The Veer uses HP's own webOS.

Nokia's MeeGo to go: enter Windows Phone 7

On Friday, Nokia annouced a deal with Microsoft over the operating system (OS) that the Finnish handset manufacturer will use in its future smartphones: Windows Phone 7.

Nokia's decision effectively puts the development of its own "MeeGo" OS - which it hoped would challenge Google's Android system and Apple's iOS - on hold, despite the best efforts of CEO Stephen Elop to say otherwise (as TechCrunch reported yesterday).

Most analysts agree that, while MeeGo was a 'no-no', a marriage with Microsoft is also a risk for the European mobiles-maker: yesterday's "Sunday Times" reported that Nokia shares "tumbled 14%" at the news of the deal.

If anything is clear, it's this. Nokia has taken too long to come to a decision on its future, while Google and Apple have moved with the times more adeptly and kept customers happy more successfully. It remains to be seen whether the deal with Microsoft will halt the inexorable slide of the company that still, currently, has the biggest share of the world market for mobile phones.