According to data released by Nielsen, apps are still the main way of accessing content on mobile devices, as the time spent on apps (versus mobile web browsers) has increased to 81% from 73% over the past year. The data revealed that the top five apps are Facebook, YouTube, Google Play, Google Search and Gmail, while the most dominant smartphone platforms are Android and iOS, accounting for 88% of downloads. Nielsen's data also indicated that the average time spent on apps per day has increased by two minutes to a total of 39 minutes a day. 

Nielsen has begun informing clients of a major initiative to develop new audience meters and digital tracking codes that could begin replacing its current meters as soon as 2014.  The GTAM intiative, which stands for Global Television Audience Metering, includes the development of four new audience metering technologies designed to deal with the challenges involved in measuring the viewing behavior of contemporary consumer households.

According to the results of a new study by Nielsen that observed marketing of products in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, online “buzz” or advocacy is becoming a key factor in sales performance. The study found that Internet media generated a return of $1.29, almost twice that of TV. “Some above-the-line investments can actually hurt profitability and brand value. Internet-based marketing and that which generates buzz among consumers can often be more valuable than traditional marketing models,” stated the report.

Disney-ABC Television Group and Nielsen have announced a new collaboration to measure iPad usage. The announcement made on Wednesday highlighted the absence of a viable measurement option for tablets, and reflects the growing urgency to understand the device's impact on media consumption. Apple alone has sold nearly 60 million iPad tablets, however, Nielsen cannot measure viewing on the platform.

Nielsen has announced that it will introduce a measurement system that standardizes ratings for television and online ads. The new system, given the name “cross-platform campaign ratings,” will combine Nielsen’s existing television ratings, which measure the reach and frequency of ads on TV, with Nielsen’s new online campaign ratings, which apply the same measurements to the Web. Until now, the two types of ratings have existed on their own.

According to a new study by Nielsen, 24% of tablet owners and 11% of smartphone owners have clicked an ad they were viewing on their devices to learn more about the product or promotion. The study entitled “State of the Media: U.S. Digital Consumer Report” also found that 23% of tablet owners and 20% of smartphone owners made purchases via their devices.

According to statistics from Nielsen, U.S. smartphone penetration is nearly at the halfway mark as of January. 48% of American adults now have smartphones,up from 44% in the third quarter of 2011. The Nielsen findings are based on a survey of 20,000 mobile users.

According to a report issued by Nielsen, the number of U.S. households that dont have cable or satellite TV and subscribe only to broadband Internet access has grown dramatically, growing by 22.8% over the past year. The Nielsen report said that this demographic is growing faster than any other segment of the “cross-platform” television marketplace.