Voice functions hits WhatsApp

Posted on by Zack Chia

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It makes sense to be in the competition by matching up with the key offerings of your competitors. With chat/messaging apps like WeChat already incorporating voice messaging features, it is no surprise that the hugely popular WhatsApp is offering the feature albeit it can be said to be a tad late in taking this step. WhatsApp can be found on several platforms which includes  Android, the iPhone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and Symbian. As it has announced that it has currently 300 million monthly active users, WhatsApp shall start to have updates on their apps that would effectively allow users to use the feature to send voice memos across to one another. The function allow users to activate their voice function records a snippet of the audio and send it across to their contact. In this case, the users can then receive and reply to the audio, text, videos or photos. However, it is reported that WhatsApp is actually successful in their photo sharing feature instead. As I am also a regular user of WhatsApp, this function does add some extra flavor to the app but not a significant feature though. WhatsApp users out there, what are your thoughts?

325 MILLION PHOTOS SHARED EACH DAY

Apple acquires HopStop

Posted on by Zack Chia

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Ever since I started using IOS Maps, I have gotten myself lost a couple of times and that stopped me from using the unreliable app. While Google maps remain one of the best navigational apps around, Apple is slowly making efforts to improve their own IOS Maps and tweaks to enhance it’s experience. I guess one of the few imperative measures of a successful navigational app is the reliability and user experience. Apple is reportedly buying HopStop, a transit navigation app. This would likely boost their current Maps app for IOS with an offering that it lacks when compared to Google Maps. As HopStop offerings public transit directions in well over 500 cities around the world, it also have options for both IOS and Android. These days it is essential to have both database and technology to be highly sought after. Apple has confirmed that it will be purchasing HopStop but would not elaborate further. At the same time, it is also reported that Apple will be purchasing Locationary, a crowd-sourced location data company. All these acquisitions shall improve and enhance the capability of it’s app. Sometimes you just got to get the right people for the right job and leave it to them to deliver that result. I must say I am giving Apple respect on their effort to make up for their mistakes and their foresight to make pragmatic business acquisitions  Seems like Tim Cook is well on his way to fulfill his promise after his apology a while ago for the bad Maps experience.

The Reading ‘Tray’

Posted on by Zack Chia

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Ever thought you could eat while you read your favorite magazine without any crumbles or spills from your morning breakfast? Well, now you can! I spotted a tray that allows you to browse your book and still enjoy your coffee.

“Although many people habitually do several tasks at once, they do not realize that they are multitasking”, unless a “mistake” is made. Yuhun Kim.

Designed by South Korean designer Yuhun Kim, known as the The ‘Reading Tray’, this will be part of her ‘Aids for Multi-tasking’ series, aimed to reduce the errors that arise when we multi-task, making the process easier.

What mobile can do for you is unimaginable

Posted on by Zack Chia

 

 

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SONTE-Film-Dining-Room-Off SONTE-Film-Dining-Room-On

An innovative tech article on Mashable caught my attention today. We are witnessing the use of mobile phones to yet another level of our daily life routines. Kickstarter never fails to awe me with great innovative start ups all the time. North California startup SONTE has created an innovative way of using our traditional window covers. This time round, with the use of technology, you get a Wi-Fi enabled window film! The entire idea is let you switch between clear and opaque modes via a simple smartphone app. All just in your finger tips. SONTE is raising funds(currently at $200K) to expand their facilities, team as well as productions. SONTE now has films that provides UV protection which also has projector screen capabilities. How sweet a deal is that? These great films will definitely be of great use for interior designs for both residential and commercial housings. Apart from the influence mobile already has on our lives in social and web, I am starting to see that mobile as a fuel to our lives in the near future.

Viber not dead

Posted on by Zack Chia

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Some of you may have used Viber before and got frustrated. Well I am not surprised if you did. My experience with the app is that the connection is somewhat laggy and often or not, calls are dropped. Now Viber has just got itself a boost and upgraded its services to desktop. The new Viber 3.0 is available on iOS and Android. Fortunately it is also launched on desktop for both PC and Mac. It is now competing with Skype and features video calls as well. I would try the app and see if it has improved on it’s connection.

Google NOW

Posted on by Zack Chia

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As the name implies, you get what you need like… NOW. A great technology that Google has came up with and is now available for download. This app packed a lot of great capabilities so much so, making your phone an absolute personal assistant. What Google NOW does is that it gives you information and data pertaining to anticipatory actions that  you might be planning to take depending on your location, time or activity. It sure sounds rather creepy, but I assure you that this might just come in handy on your next road trip, business trips or even a great night out with your partner.

You just arrived at the airport awaiting for your flight and you probably could have use another app or browse through the flight’s digital screens in the airport to check your timing. Then you realize before you had to do anything, Google NOW’s cards might just informed you that your flight had just been delayed. Thus, saving you time and leaving you mentally prepared for a nice breakfast in the meantime. Best of all, as you scroll through the series of cards, it will prompt you with great information and data that might just influence your next decision. Knowing that flight is delayed it prompts you for a nice breakfast at one of the nicer cafes around. And the third card probably showed you your boarding pass information.

The great thing about the app is that it works silently in the background subtlety, not disturbing you. Therefore, not interrupting your mobile routines. One of the factors for a great utility app of this nature is no doubt it’s respect for privacy as well as it’s non-disprutive nature. People hate to be interrupted by ads, moving banners or even pushed messaging. It’s like your two year old pestering you while you read your favorite book.

I like how Google is investing it’s time on learning and helping it’s users through their life activities making daily routines less mundane and more effective. It has successfully integrate both technology and experience. Comparatively, I would like to see how Apple would like to counter propose users with something better. I am considering an iOS to Android switch.

Apple, show us what you have got. Otherwise, I would safely deduce that Google is unrivaled when it comes to cutting-edge technology beyond great hardware and superb design.

Check my new Skin

Posted on by Zack Chia

Have you been using Linkedin frequently? Then you must have realized they have yet to change their iconic look for nearly 2 years, 24months that is. They now have a major update which focused on improving the visual representation of the news feed/stream making it much sleeker, with bigger and more prominent images. And whats more, you can officially ‘Like’ posts from the stream directly. There is also more languages introduced in this update. Altogether up to 15 languages are selectable.

The gist of this update however is the introduction of mobile Ads into the app. I guess you can pretty much expect this coming since a source revenue is potentially coming from ads. While monetizing on your own products is not something that is all too awful, they did not compromise on the user experience. In fact we would expect to see LinkedIn updating its app to offer more features like search and also customization functions for users. Check out the video. Neat.

Competitive app-edge

Posted on by Zack Chia

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Source: http://tcrn.ch/13hK7cu

A great article highlighting the increase in demand for apps and the race between both the IOS app store and Google’s Play store. App analytics firm App Annie has maintained the report that iOS App store tops the revenue charts while Google’s Play store has its download rates going higher and higher. Japan, Korea and the U.S are the top countries that made up the highest percentage in the downloads and revenues of apps. There is such great demand in these countries and we could clearly see digital age booming here. China is also no exception to this, in fact they are slowly making up to the 4th in the list. Of course with games making up the majority of the downloads. In the future to come, I see so much potential in apps and how better innovations would spring up to meet the demands while creativity can make the world a better place. All four app stores make up a figure well over 13.4 billion, and revenue reached $2.2 billion. Thats mad crazy figures!

 

Nuke that Nudity

Posted on by Zack Chia

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http://on.mash.to/10rZ8mt

Mobile apps has reign the market leaving consumers with more than enough on their hands to keep their eyes on Playboy magazine. I have been busy crushing candies everyday! Anyway, Playboy launches their mobile app that swear by the fact they can entice readers with non nudity and incredibly exciting bite sized content. Won’t that be FHM magazine? So what exactly would the difference be now? While Playboy boast a long reputation of providing male audiences with great male-driven content, it is also slowly losing its crowd. With most publications going digital now, one who does not make great leverage on their USPs would not be on a competitive edge over other popular online content provider. The only valuable proposition is that it provides you it’s own exclusive content that is exclusive to the app itself. Interesting? I don’t think so. Let’s just say we men want more.