Mobile-socializing numbers

Many of the photos and videos on MySpace and YouTube reportedly originated on cellphones. So it’s only a matter of time before the socializing, too, happens on phones. Here are some of the first figures I’ve seen. “A number of new media research firms predict that social media is likely to be the tipping point for mobile video adoption,” TVWeek.com reports. “Research firm eMarketer recently reported that mobile social communities - a grouping of like-minded people interacting on cellphones - should grow from 50 million users worldwide today to 174 million in 2011.” But while growth is being seen, US usage is still relatively small. “By the end of the third quarter of 2006, the United States counted about 5.1 million mobile video subscribers, double the number at the end of the first quarter,” according to TV Week, citing Telephia research. Another example of growth: “One [mobile social-networking] site, Pitch.tv was created in London for users to share their personal space with friends. It's only four months old, but sales director Ben Tatten-Brown says it already has 20,000 registered users. And that, without advertising the site, CNN reports. Another such startup, Cerkle.com, went from 0 to 2,000 under-30 users in its first 24 hours, CNN adds. See also “Mobile socializing: Accelerating change."