There are almost 6.5 billion mobile phone subscribers worldwide, over 1.5 billion smartphone users and more than 250 million tablet users.

Around the world, there are now almost 1.5 billion people regularly downloading mobile apps, and the business has grown rapidly, generating revenues of $12 billion in 2012, as users downloaded more than 46 billion apps.

via Portio Research

Total media advertising spending in Latin America is expected to reach $36.97 billion in 2013 — making it the region with the third-smallest outlays worldwide in that category.

Brazil and Mexico will lead Latin America for total ad expenditures, reaching $20.21 billion and $4.58 billion, respectively. Brazil, however, will be the undisputed engine.

via eMarketer

The strategy sets out a shared vision for a thriving UK information economy that enhances national competitiveness, with:

1. A strong, innovative, information economy sector exporting UK excellence to the world.
2. UK businesses and organisations, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), confidently using technology, able to trade online, seizing technological opportunities and increasing revenues in domestic and international markets.
3. Citizens with the capability and confidence to make the most of the digital age and benefiting from excellent digital services

via Intellect Technology Association

There’s a new transmedia take on Mickey Mouse underway at the Walt Disney Company. Disney Mobile is releasing the latest iteration of its bestselling “Where’s My Water?” franchise on June 20 and the first to feature Mickey Mouse.

Where’s My Mickey? introduces gamers to brand new physics-based puzzles featuring Mickey (60 unique puzzles) and Goofy (40 original puzzles).

via Forbes

As the Internet of Things IoT evolves into the Internet of Everything IoE there will be a trickle-down effect that impacts a variety of related industries and market sectors.

According to the latest market study by ABI Research, global insurance telematics subscriptions are expected to grow at a CAGR of 81 percent from 5.5 million at the end of 2013 to 107 million in 2018.

via Digital Lifescapes

According to eMarketer, nearly one in four people worldwide will use social networks in 2013. The number of social network users around the world will rise from 1.47 billion in 2012 to 1.73 billion this year — that’s an 18% increase.

By 2017, the global social network audience will total 2.55 billion.

via eMarketer

Google’s Project Loon aims to bring remote parts of the globe online with a ring of floating balloons.

The balloons will drift through the stratosphere—which is about twice as high as commercial planes fly—to deliver 3G service to off-the-grid areas.

via National Geographic

The major causes for low subscribership, as extensive survey research shows, are low interest in the Internet and minimal digital literacy. And too many American households lack the money or interest to buy a computer.

Our broadband subscription rate is 70 percent, but could easily surpass 90 percent if computer ownership and digital literacy were widespread.

via NYTimes

Can an alternative smartphone OS option challenge the dominant position of Google Android and Apple iOS ecosystems? ​A group of new open-source mobile operating systems (OS) are set to make an impact on the mobile industry.

“Tizen’s strong backing from Intel and Samsung will enable it to quickly outpace its other Linux mobile OS challengers,” says Joshua Flood, senior analyst at ABI Research.

via Digital Lifescapes

Worldwide, eMarketer estimates, advertisers will spend $516.95 billion across all media this year — 21.4% of the total will come from Western Europe, while a further 4.4% comes from Central and Eastern Europe.

On digital media, including desktop and mobile devices, worldwide spending will reach $116.82 billion — or 22.6% of all ad spending.

via eMarketer