Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/233379
technology THE WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE has released a report on global growth in the mobile phone market: In 2013, more than 3.4 billion people—nearly half the world's population—owned at least one mobile phone. The number of active mobile phone subscriptions has grown from 1 billion in 2000 to more than 6.8 billion at the end of 2013—twice the number of mobile phone owners. The number of mobile subscriptions is expected to surpass the number of people in the world in early 2014, according to the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union. Mobile phone users added 424 million new subscriptions in 2013, 250 million fewer than in 2010, indicating that growth in this market is slowing. Industrial countries average 128 subscriptions per 100 people. Developing countries average 89 subscriptions per 100 people, although that average should surpass 100 per 100 people in 2014. The report predicts that the next focus for the mobile phone industry will be not on growth, but on improving service. That includes upgrading second-generation (2G) technologies in the developing world and addressing environmental and health concerns that arise from improper recycling and disposal of obsolete devices. People today read 97 percent of their text messages on average versus only 5 percent to 20 percent of their emails. —The Worldwatch Institute 62 January/February 2014 BizEd NEWSBYTES ■ PERSONAL LOGO EM Strasbourg Business School in France recently launched an online customizable logo generator site. Students who log on to the site at be-distinctive.eu can manipulate the colors and elements of the school's logo into thousands of possible combinations to create personalized versions of the school's logo to use on their business cards on social networks, and in their email signatures. The initiative is part of the school's "Be Distinctive" branding campaign. ■ MOBILE EXEC ED The Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, is now using EmpoweredU's mobile learning platform in its Berkeley MBA for Executives. The platform allows exec ed students to access lectures, assignments, live chats, messaging, and other content on their mobile devices, as well as to create audio, video, and text files. It also integrates iPad features such as Notifications and Facetime. ■ CONFERENCE APP AACSB International is now offering the AACSB Event App for smartphones and tablets. The app provides conference attendees with a single portal to access journals and information about multiple conferences. The app is available through the Apple or Android app stores— search for "AACSB Events." For information, visit www. aacsb.edu/events/app/. ■ MBA APP The Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill has created The MBA App. Designed for the iPad and iPhone, the free app helps prospective students decide whether pursuing SH UTTE R_M /TH I N KSTOCK Mobile Snapshot