Can mobile business models and banking solutions from Africa be transported to main street North America, where there are approximately 60 million people unbanked or under-banked?

While Amazon erodes the viability of the physical store, the Amazon storefront is fast becoming confusing to navigate, and it is a slippery slope for authors.

In a season where every second tweet and Google+ post is a look-back or forward at the “mobile” year, it is sometimes difficult to navigate all the insights.

Now that I have your attention, there is an interesting parallel between Carrier IQ and Starbucks that explains a lot about the phantoms we battle in the mobile world.

A loving sign is when nouns become a verb and we “Google”, we “Skype”, we “Facebook”, we “TXT”.

Mobile phones are only used for an average of 18 months before dropping down toilets, falling on tables and general wear-and-tear drives the consumer back into the buyers’ market. For fashion- and trend-conscious consumers, this cycle is probably shorter.

Although pundits debate trading the cowhide wallet for the phone, the 2011 consumer has already more than one wallet. Every time we store a credit card on a Web site, we are creating a new wallet and a new check-out relationship.

Brand marketers and retailers compete for mind share. They woo their shoppers by price and brand affinity. These retailers segment shoppers into groups that have profiles, patterns and names.

Mobility is a treacherous business. Mobile phones are only used for an average of 18 months before dropping down toilets, falling off tables and general wear and tear drives the consumer back into the buyers’ market. For fashion- and trend-conscious consumers, this cycle is probably shorter.

With the launch of Amazon’s new Android tablet, will the retailer’s signature one-click checkout meet portable desire and allow for an optimal commerce experience for the impulse shopper on the go?