“We are always keen to produce our yearly Internet predictions,” said Scott Kessler, S&P Capital IQ Equity Analyst, Tech sector Group Head at S&P Capital IQ. “We try to identify key themes, trends, companies, and stocks to help frame thinking and opinions about this important segment.”

Following are twelve Internet predictions for 2012 from equity analysts at S&P Capital IQ. 

1. Yahoo will finally take action to sell some or all of its investments in Alibaba Group and Yahoo Japan, and may see its shares rise to about $20 in 2012.

2. More Chinese Internet companies, such as Alibaba, to pursue growth outside of China. Alibaba will look to increase its focus on, and presence in, the U.S. 

3. Google will experience further legal and regulatory problems in the U.S. and around the world, and foresee the potential for over $1 billion in fines and penalties. 

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4. Along those lines, S&P analysts don’t expect Google to be able to close on its planned purchase of Motorola Mobility until mid-year at the earliest.  There’s a small chance the company won’t consummate the transaction.

5. According to S&P Capital IQ, 2012 will be an important year for mobile payments, but that Google and Google Wallet won’t be leading the way. Rather, it expects eBay’s payments business, led by PayPal, to become much more of a force in the mobile area and bolster its presence in retail locations. And eBay could look to spin off its payments unit as an IPO, or even be renamed PayPal.

6. Contrary to the view of many, S&P analysts don’t expect 2012 to be a banner year for mobile advertising.

7. Despite concerns about growing disruptions and competition from the likes of Google, the new year will be a good one for online travel companies Expedia and priceline, reflecting international growth aided by more stability in Europe and gains in Asia, coupled with a solid domestic economy.

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8. Cybersecurity will become an even more important issue in 2012. One notable and perhaps unexpected potential beneficiary will be Akamai Technologies, which is building a security business. Akamai is expected to roll out new related offerings and partnerships in 2012.

9. EarthLink will continue to push towards its transformation from ISP to Internet network services company and achieve related successes and recognition. 

10. There will be at least a $1 billion offer from private equity firms to buy an Internet company.  According to Capital IQ data, the largest-ever private equity purchase of an Internet company was for $572 million, when Bankrate was acquired in July 2009.

11. InfoSpace will finally announce a significant M&A-related use for its considerable cash and investments. 

12.  An Internet company that completed an IPO in 2011 could be acquired in 2012, reflecting the considerable challenges of being a public company. 

S&P Capital IQ released this information Wednesday, Jan. 11.

S&P Capital IQ, a brand of the McGraw-Hill Companies, is a leading provider of multi-asset class data, research and analytics to institutional investors, investment advisors and wealth managers around the world.

Mobile Shopping Trends

The U.S. online retail sector delivered 7.5 percent growth in December 2011 compared to the same period last year, according to cloud-based analytics findings by IBM. Its findings follow a strong November where both Black Friday 2011 and Cyber Monday 2011 delivered double-digit growth over 2010.

Delivered as part of IBM’s Smarter Commerce initiative, the IBM Benchmark December holiday report reveals the following trends:

December 2011 Compared to December 2010 (year/year)

Consumer Spending Increases: Online sales were up 7.5 percent over 2010.

Mobile Traffic: 14.6 percent of all online sessions on a retailer’s site were initiated from a mobile device, more than double the rate of 5.6 percent over this same period in 2010. 

Mobile Sales: Sales from mobile devices doubled, reaching 11 percent versus 5.5 percent in December 2010.

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The Apple Shopper: Apple’s iPhone and iPad ranked one and two for mobile device retail traffic (5.2 percent and 4.3 percent respectively). Android was third at 4.1 percent. Collectively iPhone and iPad accounted for 9.5 percent over the course of the month.

The iPad Factor: Shoppers using the iPad also continued to drive more retail purchases than any other device with conversion rates reaching 6.3 percent compared to 3.1 percent for all mobile devices.

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Online Retail Categories

Department stores continued to offer an array of compelling deals and promotions that caught the attention of consumers. As a result, department stores online sales were up 18 percent over December 2010.

Home goods also reported a 15.6 percent increase in sales over December with consumers continuing to shift their attention toward the home.

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Apparel sales were strong last month realizing an increase of 16.3 percent over 2010.

Health and Beauty consumers continued to show a desire to pamper themselves over the holiday with December sales increasing by 16 percent year over year, according to IBM.

“This past December consumers remained committed to finding the best online deals whether through their PC or mobile device,” said John Squire, chief strategy officer, IBM Smarter Commerce.

“By employing a smarter approach to commerce, many retailers were successful in helping to connect their customers with the best deals from anywhere and at any time, even on Christmas Day where online shopping grew by 16.4 percent over 2010.”

These holiday season findings, released Tuesday, Jan. 10, are based on data from IBM Benchmark, an analytics-based, peer-level benchmarking solution that measures online marketing results, including real-time sales data from the web sites of more than 500 leading U.S. retailers.

Nokia Lumia 900

At the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Nokia and AT&T announced the Nokia Lumia 900, the first of Nokia’s Windows Phone-based range to feature high-speed LTE connectivity. 

With Nokia’s largest display, the Nokia Lumia 900 delivers a rich content experience from a phone that still fits easily in your hand, says the company.

Coming exclusively to AT&T in the coming months in cyan and matte black, the Nokia Lumia 900 has a 4.3-inch AMOLED ClearBlack Display for rich, bright images both indoors and out, faster connection speeds based on cutting-edge 4G LTE technology, and a long-lasting 1830 mAH battery for enjoying content all day.

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The primary camera includes Nokia’s exclusive Carl Zeiss optics, with large aperture (F2.2) and wide angle focal length (28mm) for high-quality, uncropped images even in low-light conditions.

In addition, the Nokia Lumia 900 includes a front-facing camera boasting a large aperture and a wide angle lens that ensures sharp, bright images for high-quality video calling, right out of the box.

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Nokia’s third Lumia smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 900 builds on Lumia’s design on the outside and a rich social and Internet experience on the inside. People Hub is the quickest way to connect with friends with Live Tiles for real-time updates and a fast Web browsing experience with Internet Explorer Mobile, according to the company.

 ”The introduction of the Nokia Lumia 900 with AT&T is another significant milestone in the ongoing rollout of Nokia’s global smartphone strategy,” said Chris Weber, president of Nokia Americas.

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“The Nokia Lumia 900 is designed specifically with the US in mind and the announcement of this collaboration with AT&T, in addition to other recent announcements, signifies a new dawn for Nokia in the US.”

The Univision App will be exclusive to Nokia Lumia users in the U.S. and Puerto Rico for 18 months, delivering unique and exclusive Spanish-language content experiences, including Univision entertainment, sports and soccer coverage, plus news, cooking and local content for different U.S. markets – all in one App.

Among other content services, a partnership with EA will bring over 20 of the world’s most popular games to the Windows Phone marketplace, coming first to Nokia Lumia devices.

Mirasol Display Technology

Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, and The Shanghai Nutshell Electronic Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of Shanda Networking Co., Ltd, China’s leading interactive digital content provider, have announced the first e-reader featuring mirasol display technology, the Bambook Sunflower, to be commercially available in China in the coming weeks.

With the Bambook Sunflower, Shanghai Nutshell introduces the Chinese consumer to a new category of interactive e-reader that delivers a touch display, vibrant color even in bright sunlight and weeks of reading under typical usage.

“With the Bambook Sunflower e-reader, Shanghai Nutshell and Shanda have raised consumer expectations for digital reading, both in terms of color content and an interactive user experience,” said Clarence Chui, senior vice president and general manager of Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, Inc. “Our mirasol display enriches users’ experience of Shanda’s content without sacrificing battery life.”

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The Bambook e-reader includes access to Shanda’s expansive content distribution portfolio, which includes millions of books, magazines and comics. Additionally, interactive content and social features enable users to share favorite passages with friends or send feedback to the authors.

“As a leading interactive entertainment media company, Shanghai Nutshell has the experience to understand and satisfy the digital content needs of Chinese consumers,” said Tom Guo, chief executive officer of Shanghai Nutshell. “The Bambook Sunflower e-reader with mirasol display satisfies our customers’ needs in ways no other device or display technology can.”

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The Bambook e-reader features a 5.7” XGA format (1024 × 768 pixels) mirasol display (screen resolution of 223 ppi) and Qualcomm’s 1.0 GHz Snapdragon S2 processor. The Bambook custom application interface sits atop an Android 2.3 base.

The Bambook e-reader will be available for pre-purchase and will ship to customers in February 2012.

The Ben Heck Show

Element14, a collaborative community and electronics store, and modding guru Ben Heck pay homage to the 2012 CES International tradeshow in the latest episode of the “The Ben Heck Show.” This week’s modding project features an Apple iPhone that Ben morphs into an enhanced hand-held gaming tool. It was announced Jan. 9.

“CES starts today, and I couldn’t think of a more fitting project than one that combines my love for video games with a device that many consumers are extremely passionate about,” said Ben. “Sure, the iPhone is a great device for game play already, but I wanted to take it to the next level for the ultimate mobile gaming enthusiast.”

To implement video gaming capabilities onto the smaller-footed iPhone, Ben first deconstructs an iCade system that enables gaming on an Apple iPad to integrate a scaled-down version of the circuitry.

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Then, by connecting a PodBreakout board to a simulated battery, Ben borrows voltage from the iPad to enable the Bluetooth required to power the iPhone for mobile gaming purposes.

Ben wraps up the episode by showing viewers how to build the case and required controller components – from designing and routing the shell and laser button pads using an Epilog Laser Engraver to creating and printing buttons.

The final result is a tricked-out innovative hand-held Apple iPhone gaming device. Show fans are invited to join the Element14 community to send Ben a challenge for a future build, engage with community members, and enter for a chance to win the build from this episode.

In conjunction with CES, Ben demonstrated his latest mod in a live streaming interview with the host of GT.TV, Geoff Keighley on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 2:15 p.m. PST.

Directly following the interview, Ben goes up against “Men’s Health” contributor Matt Bean in a live debate on the benefits of robotics. You can check out the live stream at allaccess.spike.com or Gametrailers.com.

Lenovo

Lenovo, a leading PC company, is flexing its muscle at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show and beyond, to create a seamless digital experience for its customers across multiple devices, be it PCs, tablets, smartphones or Smart TVs.

Lenovo recently unveiled its “Personal Cloud” vision, marking the transformation of the company from a “personal computer” manufacturer to a “personal cloud solution” provider that integrates hardware, software and cloud computing together.

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The company’s direction is evident in a variety of new products, including the IdeaTab S2, Smartphone S2 and K91 smart TV.

“Lenovo is breaking down the barriers of device differentiation and weaving together hardware, software and cloud services that are connected, experiential and dynamic,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president and president, Mobile Internet and Digital Home business group.

“We understand our users need more than just the traditional keyboard and screen for a truly satisfying digital experience. Our Personal Cloud vision integrates all devices, from tablets to TVs, for a comprehensive mobile Internet experience anytime, anywhere.”

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Thinner than its predecessors, the IdeaTab S2 10-inch is just one-third of an inch thin and, at a feather-light 1.1lbs, is one of the lightest 10-inch tablets available today, claims the company.

IdeaTab S2 features the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8960 dual core CPU and Android 4.0 operating systems to offer a better multimedia experience. Running Lenovo Mondrian UI, the user-friendly IdeaTab S2 10” displays customized content and includes easy access to the Lenovo App Shop and the Android Market for apps, such as Amazon Kindle, ooVoo, Angry bird and mSpot.

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Its detachable design, combined with a light keyboard dock, can deliver 20 hours of battery life, which is great for both entertainment and productivity, says the company.

The S2 smartphone includes the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon technology and Android 2.3 operating system. The device includes a unique Kernel-level security system to protect personal data, prevent phishing, and control network and SMS traffic.

Users can also take advantage of its 8MP super camera to capture panoramic photos on the go. S2 is also ready for the Cloud, and instantly syncs photos, music, videos and personal information with a dedicated online storage space for easy sharing across multiple devices.

As a smart TV powered by QualComm’s 8060 Snapdragon dual core CPU, the K91 is claimed to be the world’s first smart TV running the Android 4.0 operating system.

The IdeaTab S2 tablet, S2 smartphone and K91 smart TV are available immediately in China. Lenovo will be releasing these products worldwide at a later date. It was announced Sunday, Jan. 8.

What Moms Do with Their Mobiles

A survey commissioned by CTIA-The Wireless Association and using Qualtrics, revealed surprising responses from U.S. women about how they are using wireless technology, choosing their devices, replacing traditional communication tools with mobile and how wireless technology is allowing families to spend more time together and to be better connected.

The results, which were obtained by surveying 1,005 women, were released Friday, Jan. 6, and show a pronounced shift to mobile from such communication modes as landlines and desktop computers, and a substantial favoring of wireless technology for a wide array of family activities and interactions.

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When asked if the respondents were either primarily responsible or involved in making decisions on wireless devices and/or services for their family, more than 94 percent said yes. More than 74 percent of these women also paid their families’ monthly wireless service bills.                            

Since these women play a leading role in deciding their families’ wireless technology purchases, CTIA asked what the most important factors were when they chose their mobile devices.

In the survey, 36 percent said Internet connection speed was the most important; 25 percent said the price of the device (including service plan options); 17 percent said network coverage; 11 percent said design of the device (including screen size and shape); and eight percent said the operating system.

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These answers were similar to those given when respondents were asked about what the primary factors were when they chose a wireless device for others in the family. 36 percent said Internet connection speed was most important; 32 percent said price of the device (including service plan options); 11 percent said network coverage; nine percent said design of the device (including screen size and shape).

In addition to the factors the women used when choosing the mobile devices, the top five uses cited were:

• Internet access, 81 percent
• Email, 69 percent
• Text messaging/instant messaging (IM), 64 percent
• Camera/video, 41 percent
• Search, 29 percent
• Social networking, 26 percent
• Games, 26 percent
• Calendar/reminders, 21 percent
• Maps/navigation, 18 percent
• Entertainment, 13 percent

When asked what they thought was the most important function of their mobile devices: 61 percent said the Internet; 42 percent said text messaging/IM; and 40 percent said voice.

More than 38 percent of women said their mobile devices were their main access point to the Internet and almost a third (32 percent) said mobile broadband had replaced their traditional Internet service.

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Almost half (48 percent) of the respondents said that their wireless phones have replaced their landline as their primary means of voice communications. 51 percent of the respondents said they spend between one and four hours using their wireless devices daily.

In response to what functions they used to perform on a computer that they now almost solely perform on their mobile devices:

• 51 percent said text messaging/IM
• 39 percent said email
• 34 percent said camera/video
• 32 percent said weather
• 31 percent said maps/GPS/navigation
• 30 percent said calendar/reminders
• 26 percent said games
• 24 percent said social networking
• 22 percent said search
• 21 percent said music

Another aspect of the survey addressed women’s perceptions of how wireless technology was impacting family dynamics and behavior. Anecdotally, some might believe technology divides families, but the CTIA survey shows that almost 85 percent said wireless devices make the family feel closer when apart.

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Almost 80 percent said they use mobile devices to keep the family informed about each other’s activities and locations while 70 percent said it helps coordinate schedules. In addition, almost 45 percent said wireless devices help the family spend more time together.

The survey also asked moms what they thought consumed the most of their children’s mobile screen time. The top five answers were: texting, single-player games, social networking, completion of schoolwork and assignments and music.

According to CTIA, 1,005 women in households with more than two people responded to the survey during the week of Dec. 5, 2011.

CTIA–The Wireless Association is an international organization representing the wireless communications industry. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products. It was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, DC.

Data Privacy Day

The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), a non-profit public-private partnership focused on cybersecurity awareness and education for all digital citizens, announced Thursday that official sponsors Intel, eBay Inc. and partner sponsors Microsoft, Intuit, Comcast and NQ Mobile (formerly NetQin Mobile) will support Data Privacy Day 2012.

Coordinated and led by the NCSA, Data Privacy Day is an international celebration that promotes privacy awareness and education across the United States, Canada, Council of Europe member countries, and a host of other countries across the globe.

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The annual international awareness initiative focuses on educating people about the importance of protecting the privacy of personal information and promotes individual control over private data.

Since 2008, Data Privacy Day has continued to thrive through the support and participation of major international corporations and new organizations are joining the list of participating organizations for 2012 every day, said NCSA.

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Data Privacy Day began in Europe in 2007 and continues to be celebrated in more than 30 countries as Data Protection Day. The United States and Canada joined the celebration in 2008.

Since 2009, the U.S. Senate has recognized Jan. 28 as National Data Privacy Day in the United States. In 2009, the National Association of Attorneys General recognized Data Privacy Day, and numerous state governors recognize Data Privacy Day annually. 

Over the past four years, Data Privacy Day has grown significantly and has been celebrated by at least one entity in the following areas: India, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Australia, the Philippines, and Hong Kong.

Information about Data Privacy Day can be found at http://www.staysafeonline.org/dpd.

Commtouch, which provides cloud-based Internet security services, has published an in-depth analysis of 2011 Facebook attacks within its Internet Threats Trend Report, a year-end synopsis of Internet threats.

The report released Wednesday, Dec. 28, presents an analysis of scores of malicious Facebook activities during the past year, as identified by Commtouch Labs.

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Users are induced to click on the scams through social engineering tactics such as free merchandise offers, celebrity news, new (fake) Facebook applications, or simply a trusted friend sending a message stating: “You have to see this!”

After users first click on the scams, malware or malicious scripts are to blame for the further spread of slightly over half the analyzed scams, with those falling into three main categories: likejacking, rogue applications, and malware or “self-XSS,” each of which is described in the report.

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In 48% of the cases, it says, unwitting users themselves are responsible for distributing the undesirable content by clicking on “like” or “share” buttons.

“Facebook scammers are out to make money, and affiliate marketing is a rich source,” said Amir Lev, Commtouch’s chief technology officer. “The same social engineering techniques that malware distributors and spammers have been using for years to induce people to open their unwanted mail or click on malicious links are being leveraged within Facebook and other popular social networks for ill-gotten gains.”

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Besides Facebook threats, the report discusses Web threats, phishing, malware, and spam throughout the year. The content of the report, according to the company, is based on data from Commtouch’s GlobalView Network, which tracks and analyzes billions of Internet transactions daily.

The trend report describes the explosion of email-borne malware in the third quarter of 2011 to the highest levels observed in over two years, followed by its subsequent drop to earlier low levels during the fourth quarter. 

While emails with attached malware subsided to a mere trickle, email messages with malware links hosted on compromised Web sites increased significantly, using themes like pizza delivery notifications and airline itineraries to trick recipients into clicking on the malicious links.

EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis 2

Electronic Arts (EA) has announced that tennis stars John McEnroe, Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova will grace the global cover of EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis 2, available in stores worldwide by Feb. 10, 2012, and in North America on Feb. 14, 2012.

McEnroe, one of the sport’s most recognizable figures, is exclusive to the EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis franchise. Djokovic and Sharapova hold seven Grand Slam tournament singles titles between them, and Djokovic currently holds the ATP Tour number one ranking.

Alongside the global talent is a roster of elite past and present players from around the world that will adorn regional packaging.

They include John McEnroe, Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova (Global), Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal (France), Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova (Spain), and Roger Federer, Boris Becker, Maria Sharapova (Germany).

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The title will be available for the first time in HD, on the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, including support of the PlayStation Move controller.

Players can experience the authentic thrill of serving up aces on Wimbledon’s prestigious Centre Court, hitting cross-court winners on the clay courts of the French Open, playing under the bright lights at the U.S. Open or working on their serve and volley game at the Australian Open.

EA Sports is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, interactive technology, global videogame competitions and digital experiences. Electronic Arts is a leading global company offering digital interactive entertainment.