But who will be there to talk about how to drive app monetization to the next level, and what options there are to connect to ad networks? Or what about the growing trend between free vs. paid apps, along with tips to increase eCPMs & fill rates? More importantly, who will you be able to talk to about connecting the best ads with your app(s)? Mobclix, of course!

We’ll be having Mobclix’s BizDev Manager, Brandon Breon, roaming the floors of MWC all week long. Luckily, there are a number of ways to reach him to talk about your apps and/or ad networks–here’s how:

• Good ol’ e-mail: bbreon [at] velti [dot] com
• He’s on Twitter, of course. Tweet away @breon29!
• The crazy awesome Velti booth: App Planet Hall, Booth 7C58. You should stop by regardless, and check out what we’ll have in store for the mobile world
• The Velti GoMoNews Blender party: already 1,000+ sign-ups, so make sure to register!

To schedule meetings with us at the booth, visit http://mwc.velti.com.

If you’re a developer looking for the best way to monetize your apps, look no further than our Mobclix demo over at the Velti booth. Come chat with Brandon, and he can answer all your questions about making money through our ad exchange. See you in Barcelona!

But we want to get you guys pumped too. If you’re heading to Barcelona for MWC and think you’re all packed–we have something you might want to make sure you don’t forget: an iPad 2!

Specifically designed for your trip to Barcelona, the iPad 2 will come equipped with the Belkin Keyboard Folio Case to help your note-taking skills, and pre-loaded with apps to help you make the most out of your Barcelona experience.

The Prize:

An iPad 2 pre-loaded with the latest apps to complement your trip, along with a Belkin Keyboard Folio Case!

The Rules:

1. Visit the “Win With Us” tab on Velti’s MWC microsite: http://mwc.velti.com/win-with-us

2. Answer the simple question

3. Submit your e-mail address

4. Share the contest with your friends for more entries

5. Follow us on @VeltiMobile to find out if you won

6. Cross your fingers! Or toes. Or eyes.

Contest ends on February 17^th at 11:59 PST. We’ll announce the winner on February 20^th, giving you ample time to make sure your new iPad 2 is tucked away safely in your carry-on bag for Mobile World Congress 2012. Hope to see you there!

Official contest rules here.

Regardless, your mobile phone will be your best friend during the game, keeping you updated on the highest rated commercials, the Madonna halftime show coverage (hopefully, there will be coverage), and of course, the play-by-play. That’s why you’ll need the best apps for your Super Bowl Sunday, below (data from Mobclix), to avoid missing any moment of the big game.

NFL Mobile – Free

Catch the live stream of the game, for the first time, through the NFL Mobile app. Brought to you by Verizon Wireless, you’ll be able to get additional camera angles, in-game highlights, live stats and replays of the Super Bowl ads. Share news across social networks, post comments to Facebook and NFL.com, and even get SMS alerts. If you’re a Verizon customer, keep up with the game however you please, for FREE in the App Store or Android Market.

NFL Pro Tweets – Free

Wonder if other NFL players are watching the big game too? Of course they are. So join in on the locker room talk and keep track of what your favorite football players have to say through the NFL Pro Tweets app. Follow tweets from players and sports-media, as well as a live news feed of the NFLPlayers.com site. Get in the minds of the players for FREE in the App Store!

SB XLVI Guide – Free

Scored tickets to watch the Super Bowl in Indianapolis at the Lucas Oil Stadium? Lucky bum. The Super Bowl XLVI Guide app is a must, then, serving as your personal tour guide for information on the best restaurants and activities in town, as well as a 3-D map of Indianapolis, the stadium and a parking guide that will help navigate you through the area. Stuck at home on the couch? We feel you. But download this app, too, and you can follow social media buzz with the NFL huddle. Get access to all you need to know about Super Bowl XLVI for FREE in the App Store today.

Chevy Game Time – Free

Yes, this dedicated app is all part of General Motors’ Super Bowl ad campaign—and it’s amazing. The Chevy Game Time app offers tons of opportunities to engage during the game to win great prizes. As the commercials air, you can play trivia games, answer polls about the game, and interact with others through Twitter. With each point of interaction, you’ll be entered to win one of 20 cars! Other giveaway prizes include phones, tires, pizzas, music and NFLStore.com gift cards. Join in on the fun for FREE in the App Store or Android Market!

ESPN Radio – $2.99

No TV for the big game? No worries—the ESPN Radio app, connects you to live internet broadcasts of top radio shows, over 35 ESPN radio podcasts, OnDemand SportsCenter that is updated every 20 minutes, and live scores and news feeds of your favorite teams. Specific for Super Bowl Sunday, searchable audio lets you find mentions of your favorite players or teams so you can get the news you wan, as well as post-game analysis. Get the most out of your sports news updates for just $2.99 in the App Store and Android Market.

Shazam – Free

Wondering what Shazam is doing on the Super Bowl list? Many brands have tapped into the potential of this app and are offering sound recognition cues in their commercials, directing users to additional content and special deals. If you see the Shazam logo pop up in an ad, that’s your cue to aim your smartphone at your TV and see what content you get—ranging from recipes to free song downloads! Don’t miss out on all the interactions—get the app for FREE in the App Store or Android Market.

In the Kitchen – Food Network – $1.99

Every Super Bowl party needs to have food and Bud Light—so make sure your guests don’t go hungry! Check out these super-sized snack and appetizer ideas from the In the Kitchen app by Food Network. The app offers recipes specifically for the game (under “Big Game Bash”) featuring recipes from all your favorite Food Network chefs. Be crowned ‘The Ultimate Super Bowl Chef’ for only $1.99 in the App Store today!

AdBowl – Free

While the Giants and the Patriots are battling it out at Lucas Oil Stadium, some of the biggest brands are battling it out during commercial breaks. The annual AdBowl is upon us and viewers across the country will be casting their votes on the best advertisements this season. You can catch the performance of each commercial in real time and determine if the ad was a “touchdown” or a “fumble”. Results are announced just after midnight, so download the app for FREE in the App Store or Android Market and start voting for your favorite ads.

But when do you ever get a chance to pick the brain of a mobile marketing & advertising guru like him? Not too often–lucky for you, Krishna shared with Mobile Marketer™  and CMO.com just this week, his recommendations on tablet strategy and mobile offers, both predicted to be big in 2012. Highlights below!

5 Tips to Develop an Effective Tablet Strategy

With the release of the iPad 2 and Kindle Fire, it’s no doubt tablets are hot–and their sales records prove that they’re here to stay. Krishna highlights 5 ways to develop an effective tablet strategy; full article here.

 
What Drives Mobile Consumers–And Stops Them In Their Tracks

Mobile offers and promotions are key to driving brand engagement and mCommerce, but how exactly will consumers interact with what you have to offer? You have to make content engaging so consumers respond favorably. Krishna covers factors to consider for increased success of your mobile campaign; full article here.
 

Got any other questions for him or us? Submit below, Facebook-style.

It takes a true talent to know how to elevate the dance floors of events from corporate parties, to packed sports stadiums, to the hottest clubs in Vegas. Last night, the Bay Area, and fans all over the world, lost that true talent in the DJ and electronic music scene: DJ Solomon.

As DJ Solomon modestly put it, “I play good music and make people dance.” There wasn’t a crowd he couldn’t get moving, especially with what he called his specialty: Pop Turntablism. It fused scratching, beat juggling, word play, and live remixing with an eclectic mix of funk, soul, hip hop, house and rock tracks. Not only was his skill smooth and seamless, but his energy and stage presence always brought crowds to their feet.

Working with a range of artists like Stevie Wonder, The Black Eyed Peas, Patti LaBelle and Steve Aoki, DJ Solomon was able to transcend all genres, adding his own twist into the mix. A true staple in the Bay Area, he was the resident DJ for the Golden State Warriors for over a decade and even some of the biggest Bay Area tech companies – Apple, Facebook, Google – wanted him at their corporate parties. And if you’ve been to our past Mobclix parties, you’d know that we were always lucky to have DJ Solomon keeping our crowd happy all night long.

More than just a legendary DJ, Solomon Kahn was a humble, positive, and inspiring person. His impact on the DJ scene will always be remembered, especially here in San Francisco, and our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends.

Visit DJ Solomon’s official page, and read what fans around the world have to say about his tragic passing.

According to a nationwide poll released today from Velti & Harris Interactive® (seen on Mashable), it is very likely. In fact, 60% of mobile users plan to look at or use their mobile device during this year’s Super Bowl, and half of all viewers 18 and older are expected to check their device up to 10 times during the game!

It’s no surprise to us, as we just rounded up the top apps for the Super Bowl XLVI, and you can probably understand better the connection between mobile devices and the Super Bowl this year.

Check out the graph below, summing up the most interesting data from our Super Bowl Survey, and read what else Mashable had to say!

Here at Velti, we want to provide you with all the resources you need to create the most successful mobile marketing initiatives. Introducing a new Velti Twitter program, aimed to keep you up-to-date and in-the-know with key mobile trends hitting our industry.

#VeltiTip on #MobileMonday

Every Monday we’ll be bringing you the best mobile marketing advice straight from the experts in the industry—our Velti employees! From how to best optimize your mobile content to why you should consider mobile for your marketing strategy, we’ve got all the tips and tricks for you to perfect and strengthen your mobile marketing plans. All you’ll need to do is follow @VeltiMobile, #VeltiTip and #MobileMonday!

Make @VeltiMobile your one-stop shop for all things mobile, and be sure to let us know what you think–or if you’d like your articles to be featured. Just tweet us!

The Interaction Awards celebrates the very finest in interaction design and honors projects that optimize, engage, empower, express, connect and disrupt. The Interaction Design Association’s inaugural awards ceremony is next Friday in Dublin and we are pleased to announce that our HTML5 builder, 5ML™, has been nominated for the People’s Choice Award!

The Interaction Awards Jury has already met to select winners for the other categories, but now it’s up to you—yes, you!—to helpdecide on the winner for the People’s Choice category. To help make your decision easier, here’s what makes 5ml a distinct choice for the honor of People’s Choice:

• Innovative | In a world where HTML5 isn’t quite yet standardized, 5ml keeps up to date with new developments on the software and hardware front by exposing HTML5 and general web development practices through an engaging and intuitive user experience design approach.
• User-Friendly | The free-form, browser based canvas lets you drag and drop over 30 built in widgets and elements without having to enter a single line of code.
• Creative | The ease-of-use of our HTML5 builder tool eliminate the need for knowledge in new standards, platform intricacies, and coding, so developers & designers can focus solely on the creative and significantly reduce production time, allowing all stakeholders to take advantage of time-to-market, reduced production costs, and innovation.
• Design-Focused | In creating 5ml, our team followed an informative design approach meant to cater to user needs, so we incorporated a built-in user feedback mechanism to create an open channel between users and the 5ml team.
• Video | 5ml – Rich Media the Easy Way

At Velti, we’re constantly working to bring the best for our clients and users, and 5ml is no different. If you think that our design tool sets the standard for the web community, show your support for us by voting, here!

Ok, that was more than one. But before you either give up on your resolutions entirely, or be even more on top of your resolutions, we’ve compiled a list of apps to make sure you stay on track with your goals—whether it be fitness, health, or something else!

Nike Training Club – Free

Too lazy to make it to the gym today? With the Nike Training Club app, you can have your own personal trainer anytime, anywhere. The app features full body 30 minute workouts or more professional variety workouts for 15 minutes each. Choose from over 130 workouts to achieve your goal, with clear photos and video demos help you make sure you have the right form. And of course, set your workouts to music already on your phone and the audio will prompt you when to switch! Start your training now for FREE in the App Store.

GymPact – Free

Resolved to save some money AND work out more this year? Kill two birds with one stone—kind of—with the GymPact app. Simply commit to going to the gym a certain number of days a week; but if you skip out on the gym, you are charged $5. The idea is that cash incentives for concrete things can be very effective. The app will track your trips to the gym when you check in to your location once you arrive. If you’ve been good, you can even get paid with cash, which comes from your lazier peers who missed the gym. Think you can keep your promise? You better! Get the app for FREE in the App Store!

Fooducate – Free

You’re at the grocery store and want to buy some healthier items. Low-fat, sugar-free, high-fiber—with so many options, how do you know what is best for you? With the Fooducate app, you simply scan the product barcode and instantly get the health value graded from A to D. In addition, it will show healthier alternatives or comparison scanning. Start shopping healthier, and get the app for FREE in the App Store or Android Market.

Calorie Counter Diet Tracker by Myfitnesspal – Free

Need the help of your friends and peers to keep you in check? MyFitnessPal is a community oriented site to help you lose weight and keep track of fitness goals. With the Calorie Counter Diet Tracker, you can track your food intake, monitor your level of activity, and set daily calorie goals. The progress screen will calculate how many calories you’ve burned by entering your weight and duration of exercise, helping you stay on top. Keep track of your fitness goals for FREE in the App Store or Android Market!

Big Change — $2.99

You’ve got things you want to accomplish this year, so get them done with the help of Big Change! How? First, set up accounts to accept self-set cash rewards for milestones that bring you closer to your goal. Next, set up 8 preset goals and one custom goal. Each goal allows you to specify a monetary goal and smaller monetary rewards as you get closer to your achievement. All these transactions are self-input and on the honor system. You can visually keep track of your progress and get motivational push messages to cheer you along the way. Get on your way to change for $2.99 in the App Store today!

Bloom* — Free

Ever get too caught up in life to appreciate the subtler, quieter moments? With Bloom*, you set reminders for yourself that will randomly pop up. Each “bloom” is associated with digital inspiration—a photo or song—making your reminders more than just reminders, but moments to reflect on and enhance your life. You can set private blooms with a significant other, group blooms for your close friends, and public blooms to be spread on your social networks. See your goals bloom for FREE in the App Store.

reQall – Free

If getting more organized is at the top of your resolutions list, meet reQall–the app that serves as the ultimate memory aid and executive assistant. To add a reminder, simply speak into your phone and you will soon get an email with the recorded message in text format and audio file. The text will also appear in the app’s RSS feed and portal, chat and calendar to-do item. If there’s a time and date in the recording, the reminder will show up at that time and date. Remember anything and everything, for FREE, in the App Store or Android Market!

PageOnce Money & Bills – Free

Bills, bills, bills. From your electric bill to your water bill to your cell phone bill to your credit card bill—the stress of keeping your financials in order never ends. With PageOnce Money & Bills app, you can keep track of and manage your bills, credit cards, bank accounts and investments. Push notifications and email alerts and reminders ensure that you never miss a bill and are always paying on time so you avoid late fees. Grab the app for FREE in the App Store or Android Market, and be on your way to better financial health!

Quitter – Free

Smoking, overeating, nail-biting—we’ve all got our vices. You want to kick the habit for the New Year, and we have just the right app for you. Quitter lets you track your progress in whatever bad habit you’ve decided to drop. The main focus is on how long since it has last been since you indulged and how much money you save because of your progress. Simply add the units consumed per day and the cost of the unit to see how you’re doing. You can also share your success with friends on your social networks as well as add inspirational images to keep you focused. End your addiction NOW, and download Quitter from the App Store today!

Sleep Cycle – $0.99

You’ve pulled an all-nighter and now you’re grumpy and cranky for the rest of the day. Getting a good night of sleep is vital for how you function during the day and with the help of Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock you can be well on your way. The app will monitor your sleep patterns as you move between lighter and deeper sleep cycles, and wakes you up at a point of light sleep within your target “wake-up window”. How does it do this? With the accelerometer in your phone, it will track your movement throughout the night and that indicates what cycle of sleep you’re in. You can even view how your sleep patterns change throughout the night. Grab this in the App Store for only $0.99 today—Sweet Dreams!

Lately, it seems a lot of mobile developers worry about the validity and integrity of 3rd party SDKs, notably what permissions are needed, and why, by the SDK. Inappropriate or unneeded permission requests confuse or anger users. And what’s worse, it might be an indication of a dishonest service or malware. You aren’t always sure what’s going into your app, no matter how many assurances are made–and when you get an alert from an app store or a fellow developer, you start to worry.

With us, people question the permissions our SDK needs. I’ve listed the most common ones I see people get worried about, below, and explanations behind why you shouldn’t be concerned:

• GPS: GPS is optional in a lot of plug-ins and SDKs, so usually you can turn it off or not use the feature.  For instance, we use GPS for ad targeting.  It’s not unusual for various SDKs and components to use GPS (but I’d see if it can be turned off if you don’t want it).

• Internet Connectivity: Another fear that comes with development is when an SDK or component needs internet connectivity–they get afraid that it means sending private information, etc.  However, as wired as most applications are, Internet connectivity is the norm for many components.

• Read Phone State: This is the permission that reads information from your phone.  A lot of SDKs read some phone data for obvious reasons–in a lot of cases to get unique information needed for unique profiles and data.
• Read Phone State is usually what people really worry about, since that’s something Malware would target.  But there’s every reason for legitimate SDKs to access that information, ad networks being one of those reasons. The Mobclix SDK, for example, partners with over 35 different ad networks, all with their own requirements. Some of our ad network partners cannot deal with the error rate of ANDROID_ID (thanks to the pre-Gingerbread days) and require getDeviceId() in order to serve ads. And since most ad networks simply do not serve ads without a unique id, in order for us to continue connecting devs to multiple ad networks, certain compromises have to be made. The Mobclix SDK itself doesn’t use the Read Phone State permission, but without our ad partners, we wouldn’t have ads to serve at all.

So to sum it up, GPS activation, Internet Connectivity and Read Phone State, when accessed, are not signs you’ve accidentally put malware into your application. They’re usually legitimately accessed–along with other data and functions we rarely think about.

The best way to avoid any angry users, confusion, and the like, is to be extremely careful about what you put into your application. That’s why Mobclix, and every other legitimate developer of tools, plug-ins and SDKs, work hard to document how their tools work and make sure they’re reliable.

If you have any other questions or permissions that keep you up at night, post them below & I’ll be sure to help explain!