This is probably the best article I've read on the status of the mobile industry in months. With switching costs increasing (very) rapidly, the pure hardware plays (read: everybody but apple, google, amazon and hopefully Microsoft) don't stand a chance - yet they communicate to wall street as if we still were in a pre-2007 (that would be when iPhone was introduced) - world. I'm thinking about samsung, nvidia (mobile), nokia, rim and others. 

[reproduced from Engadget]
Windows Phone 8 looks good, but can it uproot those entrenched in other ecosystems?
By Darren Murph  posted Jun 21st 2012 12:15PM
Editorial

At the tail end of Microsoft's marathon Windows Phone Summit keynote, the company's own Kevin Gallo said the following: "Everyone in the Windows ecosystem benefits." He was waxing poetic about the myriad new features coming to the outfit's latest and greatest mobile operating system, and nothing about his quote was incorrect. Developers will adore the shared codebase. Users will adore the new additions to the software framework. Carriers probably won't shun the opportunity to push yet another platform this holiday season. But the one word in there that sticks out most to me is this: "Windows."

I've been wrestling with the ecosystem issue for some time, but the gravity of it has never been so evident. Starting in 2008, one could argue that it stopped being purely about hardware. Purely about design. Purely about software. Purely about partnerships. Particularly when it came to smartphones. Slate-style handsets were en vogue years ago, with design changing extremely little and software becoming ever more of a factor. But it wasn't just software in the simplest sense -- it was how the software was interconnected to every other piece of the digital ecosystem. Phones were no longer standalone devices; they were simply the most convenient entry into a rabbit hole that Microsoft's going to have a tough time digging people out of. Allow me to explain.

As of this month, Apple has moved over 345 million iOS devices. That includes iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. In truth, there are far more iOS devices being used in conjunction with non-Macs than there are with Macs. The halo effect is working, it seems, but it's certainly not putting OS X on the fast track to 51 percent market share in the desktop space. During Apple's Q2 earnings, it revealed a 7 percent uptick in Mac sales compared to Q2 a year ago -- that's four million computers in three months, which is obviously far, far fewer than the Wintel world collectively delivered. But honestly, most of that is somewhat beside the point. Regardless of what desktop platform an iPhone user relies on, the revitalization of the cloud in the consumer space has made switching out of an ecosystem doubly painful.

Of course I already have 200K fuelpoints and I really love my brand new fuelband. I love digital health. Lots of movement here and perhaps this is where social is actually going to .... be useful ? CharityMiles is absolutely brilliant.

[Reproduced from Mashable]
Charity Miles is an exercise app that works double-time, tracking mileage and raising money for different causes. All users need to do is turn up the volume and go.
The iPhone and Android apps are free. Anyone can earn money for charities with pure mileage. Bikers earn 10 cents per mile while walkers and runners can earn 25 cents a mile for charities.

The company is self funding the initial $1 million covering the app’s first users. The company hopes to gain as many athletes on the platform as possible, to entice future corporate sponsors. By sponsoring users’ runs and rides, the corporations have a unique way to connect with consumers. Users must share their activity on Facebook and Twitter in order for charities to receive donations.
The GPS-enabled app is sleek and easy to use. Users can track their time, milage and impact.

There are nine charities to choose from, including Achilles International, Autism Speaks, Feeding America and Habitat for Humanity. More charities are scheduled to be added to the platform. There are no limitations to which charities you’re helping.Gurkoff, a former corporate lawyer, dreamed up Charity Miles. He worked previously with the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) to raise money for Parkinson’s Research. With the charity, he helped initiate Team Fox — the foundation’s fundraising branch. Volunteers were encouraged to organize bake sales, run marathons and initiate homegrown fundraising programs under the Team Fox banner. Individuals have since collected more than $16 million towards finding a cure for Parkinson’s Disease.