As we approach the time of year where folks tend to back off just a little we decided to give you some eye candy to consider courtesy of the SAI Insider and Horace Dediu of Asymco. At an activation rate of around 700,000 devices a day Android is doing well but it’s not outpacing iOS activations that are estimated to hit 260 million in 2013 (by one analyst’s guess prediction).

This is not about whether Android is better than iOS devices. Clearly in the tablet market that has not panned out has it? It does say that the Android devices are likely hitting a more budget conscious market with low end phones. No harm in that because that gives more people a chance to use the mobile Internet. An article from Reuters talks about that very phenomenon in Europe.

Ever since we discovered that people watch TV with their smartphones in hand, second screen technology has taken off. Some companies are using it to offer an extra layer of content to a movie, while others are strictly for ad purposes.

This past week Hallmark Channel partnered with 44Doors to deliver a holiday gift from Billy Ray Cyrus to his fans. A QR code appeared on the screen during the airing of Cyrus’ movie Christmas Comes Home to Canaan. Accessing the code, allowed fans to download the song “Home” which was written specifically for the movie.

Tim Hayden of 44Doors told MobileMarketer:

“An increased volume of viewers and sustaining that audience throughout Christmas Comes Home to Canaan was a primary objective, while the data analysis from the actual scans and downloads will help the network and advertisers to better understand audience viewing behavior, device preference and geographic location.”

Maybe now we can start talking about the Age of Mobile rather than wondering if this is simply the year of mobile. It’s here for sure and the increased use in mobile data is certainly pointing to that reality. Here is a chart from a Nielsen study that helps make the point

This is an interesting study that also points out the great mobile divide that separates the 35 and under crowd from the rest of the mobile world. They use a lot more data and will be around a lot longer that the older folks so this is only going to get more intense.

I have decided that whenever a “report” comes from anywhere, even a “well-respected” source, that is not based in an actual announcement but is “rumored” to be in the works by “as early as” a certain date, that the title of the post will have a question mark? Why? Because it used to be that news was about something that has actually happened and is being reported on. Now the definition that works better, especially in the Internet and social media marketing space is “something that has been maybe, kinda, sorta leaked by someone in a company looking to make an impression on a news agency OR an intended leak by a company to build buzz about something that is at least 90 days away fromreality.

Which US city has the most mobile savvy shoppers? I’ll give you a hint, it’s a big city, but not one traditionally known as a shopping mecca. Cross out New York (#2) and San Francisco (#11).

Give up? It’s Houston, with a mobile shopper savviness index of 122. Apparently, the stars at night aren’t the only thing big and bright in Texas. They have the highest percentage of consumers with mobile phones (67%). They also score the highest for retail and social media apps and they love mobile coupons. So, if you run a business in Houston, take note!

This information is part of the IAB’s Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence.

Click through to see the entire infographic which is pretty cool.