Apple's IOS Defeats Android in Battle of Christmas Day Shopping

Here’s one category where Android is still no match for Apple Inc. (AAPL): mobile shopping.

On Christmas day, Apple’s iOS devices were used to make 23 percent of all e-commerce orders, according to a report yesterday from International Business Machines Corp. Phones and tablets running Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android, meanwhile, only accounted for 4.6 percent. IOS customers also spent $93.94 per order, almost twice the amount of the average Android shopper.


Mobile devices in general have emerged as a more common way to buy things online, gaining ground on personal computers. They were used for almost 29 percent of Internet sales, up 40 percent from 2012, IBM found. Smartphones were more popular for browsing, while consumers spent more money when using tablets.

Apple’s iPhone and iPad have maintained their edge as shopping tools, even as Android products sell in far greater numbers. Android, which is used by Samsung Electronics Co. and other top manufacturers, accounted for 81 percent of smartphone shipments last quarter, according to IDC. Apple had 13 percent of the market.

Pinterest Inc. and Facebook Inc. also helped drive online shopping on Christmas, IBM found. Customers referred to sales through Pinterest, an Internet-scrapbooking startup, spent almost $87 per order, while those referred through Facebook spent $72. Still, customers that came from Facebook were four times more likely to make a purchase than the Pinterest users, possibly because they trust their Facebook friends more, according to the report.

Using iMotion HD

While I was driving back from KL to Ipoh, I was tempted to try taking photos while on the go. At times, it is difficult to take snapshot while on the go. But check the effect of using iMotion HD...

I totally love it at a few trials using the app....decided to do it while driving on the highway....check out the effects!!

 

 

The lorry approaching....

Saw the IPOH sign and lorry is passing by....

Lorry gone....IPOH sign approaching or should I said my car approaching the IPOH signage....

I was glad to have try it while on the go....the effect is amazing....definitely something that I look forward....I even manage to create videos and photos showing apparent movement...

After I zoom in, the image is still pretty clear.

I totally love using iMotion HD!!

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Windows RT Is Failing To Win Market Share

As Microsoft gears up to officially launch its Surface RT tablet in Russia and Singapore this week, moves by a number of its hardware partners to discount their own Windows RT devices suggest that the operating system is failing to gain a foothold in the market and that consumers are not interested.
A stripped down version of Windows 8, Windows RT was developed to run on the ARM chip architecture associated with low-powered mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Conceived as a direct competitor to Google's Android and Apple's iOS operating systems, Windows RT mimics the look and feel of Windows 8 but is incapable of running full Windows applications or indeed legacy apps.

In fact it is only capable of running apps from the RT section of the Windows App Store. Android and iOS have similar limitations, but both platforms boast over 500,000 apps each and counting, whereas there were still only a mere 10% of that total -- 50,000 RT compatible apps -- available to Microsoft consumers as of the end of March.

Microsoft officially launched the Surface RT tablet in October 2012 and it has been on sale, primarily via its own website and retail stores, since November. Following the launch, a number of other devices from Dell, Lenovo, Samsung and Asus, among others, have come to market that use the same operating system. However, this week, Computerworld journalist Agam Shah noted that each of those companies started to heavily discount its tablets, convertibles and hybrid devices that use the operating system, suggesting that there is a serious lack of demand for the platform among the public.
In its March report into the state of the global tablet market, IDC noted that its figures suggest the Microsoft RT gamble is not paying off.

"Microsoft's decision to push two different tablet operating systems, Windows 8 and Windows RT, has yielded poor results in the market so far," said Tom Mainelli, Research Director, Tablets.
"Consumers aren't buying Windows RT's value proposition, and long term we think Microsoft and its partners would be better served by focusing their attention on improving Windows 8. Such a focus could drive better share growth in the tablet category down the road."
The fact that, after contributing next to nothing to the evolution of the personal computing market for the best part of a decade, Microsoft decided to squeeze 10 years of innovation into one year hasn't helped matters either.


In 2012, Microsoft launched a new smartphone operating system; a new PC operating system with a completely new type of touch interface; a tablet operating system that on the surface appears identical to the PC operating system though in reality isn't; two new app stores; and two tablets that look identical but are totally different; and started to offer its Kinect motion sensing system for the Windows operating system as well as for its Xbox games console.

This rush of products has clearly caused confusion in the market among resellers as well as consumers, as Nicole Kobie highlighted in the PC Pro blog on Thursday. She listed a number of Windows RT devices currently on sale on the UK, each of which was incorrectly ladled as running the full version of Windows 8. If the vendors can't get it right, how is the average consumer expected to make the right choice?

Since IDC published its report on March 12 Microsoft has launched the Surface RT tablet in a number of new territories including Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Taiwan as well as the aforementioned Russia and Singapore and in each instance has retained the same pricing model -- US$499 (RM1,528.94) for the entry-level 32GB model.

However, this week, Dell slashed US$50 (RM153.20) off its XPS 10 32GB model and a huge US$100 (RM306.40) off the 64GB model. Lenovo has dropped the asking price for its IdeaPad Yoga 11 from US$799 (RM2,448.14) to US$599 (RM1,835.34), while Samsung has announced that it is withdrawing its RT tablet, the Ativ Tab, from all non-Asian markets due to lack of demand.
This doesn't mean that the Windows Surface RT tablet is a poor device, but at the moment it cannot compete with similar tablets from Apple, Google or even Amazon in terms of price or choice of apps. The only area in which it can beat the competition is in access to the Microsoft Office suite of products, which are currently unavailable as apps on either the iOS or Android platforms. - ©AFP/Relaxnews 2013

Phewtick - Meet Up, Scan and Earn

Phewtick is a free app for iOS as well as Android OS and the main different between this app and most of the apps available in both the iOS and Android OS is this app allowed the users to earn money.

Phewtick - Phewtick is an app to record everyday meet-ups in a fun way

How does it work? Well, the current version has slight change of some rules, where you will need to have the meet up ticket in order to meet up and scan the QR code to earn the points which in turns can be converted to certain amount of cash. Previously, two meeting users are allowed to scan once each hour, which now change to every minute, provided you have the meet up tickets.

Home screen of Phewtick

Checking the current total points from time to time and the amount of money equivalent to the points

Getting the meet up tickets is not tough, register with Tapjoy and download the apps to earn the meet up tickets. Some apps are free, some requires registration while some requires the user to do certain task in order to get the meet up tickets. Phewtick also randomly give free meet up tickets daily, range from 1 to 9 - I never get 9 free meet up tickets before, although I have few friends who are getting while I just have an average of 2 free meet up tickets courtesy of Phewtick. Of course, with the free tickets, the points are lower but then again, it's still free money.

15000 points is enough to cash out, one can even cash out from as low as 9000 points

Confirming the request to cash out with the correct and verified PayPal email address

Is it a scam? I am not sure whether it is a scam or not, although many has been debating whether the deal is too good to be true. I cashed out few times, twice from 9000 points and thrice from 15000 points. The only drawback I found when wanting to cash out is the long lead time, 15 days after you requested for cashout and it only pays to the verified Paypal account. Currently there are option to cash out through Amazon, but I still prefer to get the money deposited to my Paypal account.I'm still getting the money out of it, so I would not label the apps and the company as scam. We will see in another six to twelve months later to see how the company is doing before we can conclude anything.

For those who are questioning on how the company is making money, I would think that the business model will be through advertisement - in which Tapjoy is coming in. I can see that there are advertisement below the Phewtick screen everytime I scan with friends, although I believe it only happens to the iOS devices, whereas on an Android OS device, I never see any advertisement before. There are other business model for the company to generate profit, but I don't think the company is doing it at the moment.

Outsmarting Traffic Together With Waze

Nowadays it is not easy to predict the traffic condition on the road, especially during the festive season where the mass exodus might happen in the city center. So, in order to avoid the traffic jam, we need to outsmart the traffic together with "Waze".

Waze is a free iOS app for people with iPhone to get the latest information on the traffic condition as well as contributing traffic information so that people around the area will know about it. The app is very simple to use and one can just use his or her Facebook account to login to the app and start contributing and get the traffic information.

There are many other functions that you can get from Waze, and like most of the navigation apps like the Papago application, one can also see speed of his or her own transport with additional feature like the average speed of that road. One feature I like about Waze on traffic information is it will display the traffic condition with different color, like red for heavy traffic.

Red color road for heavy traffic with the average speed shown

Other features in Waze include chatting with the people you see on the road, but I think this is unnecessary as it will be dangerous typing messages to the friend in front of you. There are other reports that you can get like the police or accidents and this kind of information is useful when we plan a journey, especially a long journey during the holiday season.

The cons of Waze is that it requires internet connectivity and supposedly required a fast one. By turning 3G and having the app on will definitely drain the battery of the iPhone fast. I remember I use the app once and before I realized, my iPhone battery level was at less than 40%.

Overall, Waze is really useful for those who want to plan the journey by getting information on the traffic before heading to the road to avoid having stuck in the middle of the traffic jam.

Dressing Up Your Photo Collection With Pic Collage

Pic Collage is another free iOS apps that one can download to their devices which uses the iOS - to dress up the photo collection in the Camera Roll or even in the social network like the Facebook.

The app is easy to use, there are a number of the templates of the frames; or user can choose to be creative by creating free form collages, cutouts, filters, borders, stickers, and text. It doesn't takes up much space, about 22MB of space on the devices. With new iPhones and iPads coming out with a standard of 16GB and up to 64GB, there will be plenty of space to store up this free iOS app. Good news for those on Android platform, the app is supported as well, so although I'm blogging on the iOS version, I believe it will be the same for the Android version.

I have been playing with the apps throughout the Chinese New Year week - to compile the list of food at any time to prevent myself from uploading a number of photos to either my social network account or my blog. As part of the social network, you will get notification on any of the collages posted by your friends, as well as they'll be getting yours and it seems fun to have this kind of photo sharing on the activities that you and your friends are doing.

Free form collage that I created using the app

Another example

The only drawback I found in the app is when I'm trying to be creative and use the free form collages, sometimes it ended up in a mess and I need to redo. However, this free form collages are also the pros that I found in the app.

Overall, I found that this app is nice to use and it is a must installed app for those who like to takes photographs on many things in an event and wanted to post the photos as one compilation of collage.

PIP Camera - Companion for self-snapshots

PIP Camera is another free photography apps for both the Android and iOS. Try searching "pip camera" in Google Play or iTunes App Store and then you are on your way to download and install the app on your smartphone.

The app has the motto " PIP Camera is the best companion for self-snapshots! Make your photos extra fun with creative shots!" which is indeed quite true. It must be one of the best, if it is not the best, especially for people who like to do self-snapshots using smartphones - since most smartphones equipped with the front camera. And since it is free and takes up to 30MB of space for iOS and 17MB of space for Android, the app is worth a try. The app is preloaded with the template use to edit photos and this library of templates is constantly update with the pic-in-pic (PIP - this is how the app get its name, I assume) material.

I only manage to try it on the iPhone 5 which is using iOS 6, and perhaps that is why sharing of the photo to social network like Facebook and Twitter seems so easy. I download some of the pic-in-pic material like iPad and iPhones and have fun editing photos of myself. Good thing is that the app can be use on devices without camera like my iPod Touch, of course you can only edit the photo while for devices with camera, you can directly edit the photo using camera mode - and did not seems to lag on the iPhone 5.

Overall, I found the app is nice and easy to use, and since it's free, it is really worth to download and play with it. It won't hurt to get extra photography app, well, at least to me.

[News] Angry Birds Rio is Now Free For Limited Time

Sqwaaaaak!!!! To all the angry birds fans, Angry Birds Rio is free to download for limited time only. Angry Birds Rio is the App Store Free App for the Week, so squicckkk, login to your iTunes and start download the app.

The review on Angry Birds Rio can be found here.

Sneak Preview of iPhone 5

The long awaited iPhone 5 finally reached home, after confirming the transaction online at the Digi Shop for renewing the iDigi88 - the plan good enough for my sister since she will be around at Singapore almost all the time.

So, here I am, today at home unpacking the package with consists of the instruction to activate the sim card as well as the iPhone 5 box, delivered together with the Digi nano sim and the privilege card. 

The iPhone 5 delivered together with the nano sim by Digi

Inside the box consists of the standard iPhone package, the iPhone 5, the charger as well as one headset. I think Apple thinks that their iPhone is so easy to use that the box does not come with any of the operating manual, which really surprise me. I agree that the phone is so easy to use that I don't need an operating manual to operate it, but still, to me, I think operating manual is a must. It only comes with a leaflet showing the feature of the iPhone.

The box with iPhone 5 inside includes headset and charger

Anyway, since it comes with the Digi nano sim, I might as well cut my work short by directly using the sim card - at least I don't have to go to shop and asked them to cut my sim into nano sim. To insert the nano sim to the iPhone, it is exactly the same way how iPhone 4 users insert the micro sim to the iPhone 4. Just use the clip inside the box to poke (real hard) at the small hole at the nano sim holder, it will come out, and then you can directly put the Digi nano sim to the phone.

Clipping out the nano sim slot to put the Digi nano sim

After slotting in the sim, the next thing to do, of course is to boot up the iPhone 5. This iPhone 5 is come with pre-installed iOS 6.0.1. This iPhone comes with 64GB storage, with about 8GB used for OS - so you roughly will have about another 56GB for apps, musics, videos and photos.

Booting the iPhone 5 for the first time

The iPhone 5 bundled with iOS 6.0.1

Well, I guess that's all for now. Will blog more about the iPhone 5 once I have sync it with all the apps that I have on my laptop.

[News] Thor: Son of Asgard Is Now Free

If you have been a fan of the Mighty Thor, take this opportunity to download Thor: Son of Asgard for free. This is not the lite version of the game, this is the full version of the game featuring stunning HD graphics optimized for Retina Displays that bring Asgard and Thor to life. Step into the role of the Mighty Thor in this epic 3D action game. Asgard is under siege from forces both inside and outside its walls. Wield the great hammer Mjolnir as you battle rampaging foes to protect the kingdom and the nine worlds. Download now to save $2.99.

[App] Line Camera

It was not long before that I blogged about Line app as a better alternative to Whatsapp...well, back then I did not realize that NAVER Japan Corp has put in so much effort in this app...(for those who are not aware, it is the developer that develop the app for Line).

So, what kind of efforts am I talking about? It's the efforts to make LINE user experience to be complete by creating another app to complement with it, known as Line Camera...

Basically, the features are similar to the popular Instagram...and I dare say some of the features are even better...and all of that are made possible to be shared with your friends via LINE...I'm pretty outdated because the Line Camera is out for some time...
















Below this pic, I'm trying out the app...it's pretty cool...





I don't have the time to play with the app in detail yet but a big thumbs up to Line for this...whatsapp really is trailing far behind now...


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

[News] Angry Birds Seasons Is Now Free

 

To all the angry birds fan, today Angry Birds Seasons is free for download. No, this is not the lite version nor the free version nor the cracked version. This is the genuine copy of Angry Birds Seasons that you can download directly from iTunes. Squicckkkk!!! So, let's come find out where the birds go this summer.


Download links for iPhone
Download links for iPad

[Review] LINE

Have you ever wonder which is the best app to use for social network. We all know that whats app has been the most popular app for quite a while as a replacement for text messages. But with LINE, we have something new. 

Whatever that Whatsapp is capable of, LINE is also capable of but LINE comes with a few extras...

Here are some of the cool features that I find with LINE.

If you are like many, you will find this extremely amazing...expressive stickers and emoticons...such emoticons and cute graphics have been one of the key features on LINE....as it makes communication becomes more than just words...sometimes, images speak a thousand words...I guess this is where LINE wins over Whatsapp....

Of course, this could also be the flaw of the app....imagine if someone kept sending emoticons and stickers to you on LINE....one could easily find it to be frustrating and annoying...

We all know that Group messages are important and LINE is making sure to include this key feature as well.

Group Messaging with your Favourite Friends or selected people would make communication in a group as well as group outing be organized easily. 

There are other ways for you to add friends such as using the Shake It feature or the QR codes...this is really where Whatsapp is missing...but I find the feature to be hardly useful...but still fun to have once in a while...

Wallpaper could also be easily customized...I'm sure this feature suits the females more than the guys...it's definitely not the killer feature but it's good to have it once you are bored with the usual background.

For me, I personally find one more feature in LINE that beats out the rest...the availability on the PC. 

One could easily access into LINE via the PC or even the tablet....For tablet, one would have to use the browser version at the moment. This is totally in line with what iMessage idea....so basically, LINE is integrating both the goods in iMessage, WhatsApp and the cute emoticons we once saw in WindowsLive Messenger...

Therefore, LINE is really an app that beats out most of its' competitors...very innovative and user friendly at the same time...a big thumbs up for the developers....

[Games] Bejeweled Blitz

If you are always on the go and in between you have about few minutes of break, there is a game that you might play in between the break. The game is short, addictive and you can even challenge your friends for high score over the Facebook account.

The game is Bejeweled Blitz by PopCap. In this game, you have 60 seconds to strategize, match and detonate as many gems as you can - just like the normal Bejeweled games, but only this time you have up to 60 seconds to play, which is good especially when you are playing it on a very short break.

Page to see where you rank among your friends in Facebook playing the game

There are options to play either offline aka challenging the imaginary challengers by the game itself (with the latest update), or you can login to your Facebook and compete with Facebook friends to see who get the highest score and the high score is not there forever, the competition will restart every week. Give the game a try and you will see how addictive it is.

Checking personal statistic of the game

Why Microsoft's 'Surface' Is A Big Strategy Shift

An interesting article that I come across in Yahoo! finance regarding the tablet by Microsoft called 'Surface' - Why Microsoft 'Surface' is A Big Strategy Shift. Finally, with the tablet from Microsoft, we will now have more tablets option to choose from rather than just iPad and Android tablets.

The new tablet in town, Surface

Microsoft's launch of its first-ever computer, in the form of a tablet called 'Surface', marks a major shift by the tech giant into the hardware space, as it seeks to replicate the success enjoyed by rival Apple, technology analysts tell CNBC.
"Microsoft's Surface is a premium class of device, which has integrated software, hardware and services," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at Enderle Group told CNBC on Tuesday. "It is positioned directly against Apple. This is Microsoft trying to do a better job than Apple at all three."
Unlike Apple, the software giant has relied in the past three decades on computer manufacturers to produce and market machines running its Windows franchise, which it's been struggling to re-invent. Apple, on the other hand, has adopted an integrated hardware-and-software approach, using its own operating system to power devices like the iPad and iPhone - a strategy that's proven to be a big success.
Enderle says the specifications of the new tablet - particularly the optical display - indicate that Microsoft is now ramping up its focus on hardware. "The Surface's optical display is the first to come into the market. You can play games on the device that you can't on the iPad," he said.
Some other features of the tablet include a 10.6 inch screen, a built-in stand, keyboard, plus front and rear cameras.
But according to Andrew Milroy, Vice President, ICT Research, Asia-Pacific at Frost & Sullivan, Microsoft may be a "little late" in the game. Windows has a negligble presence in the tablet operating system space, compared to Apple's iOS and Google's Android, which have 63 and 35 percent market share respectively.
He also raised concerns about the Surface potentially straining Microsoft's relations with companies like Dell, Lenovo and Hewlett-Packard which are reportedly developing their own tablets which will run on Windows 8.
While Enderle believes the Surface shows potential, the success of the product will ultimately depend on how much money Microsoft is willing to dedicate to the marketing and distribution of the product.
"On paper (the Surface) is a strong offering. If Microsoft spends whatever it takes to market and seed the product, it will be a success," he said.
"It's a huge marketing effort. A lot of the weight is going to be on the convincing consumers that Microsoft's product is better. This is potential for it to be a lot better than the iPad, but if they (Microsoft) can't explain it to the public, then they lose," he added.

HTC One S vs Apple iPhone 4S

         HTC One S                                                              Apple iPhone 4S

 CPU ~                  Dual Core 1.5 ghz krait                -            Dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9


Camera ~           8MP auto-focus and LED flash        -           8MP auto-focus and LED flash


Display ~           4.3" Super AMOLED MIPI              -           3.5" LED-backlit IPS TFT
                          capacitive touchscreen                                  capacitive touchscreen


Ram ~                     1 GB RAM                               -                  512 MB RAM


Storage ~                16 GB                                      -          16/32/64 Internal memory
                        Internal memory (expandable)                          (no memory slot)






Apple iPhone 4S: The iPhone 4S wasn’t quite what many expected, and to be fair, we did contribute to the iPhone 5 hype by reporting on the various pre-launch rumors, but now the iPhone 4S is here, and it is selling well. The question is: how good is it, and is it for you? While the hardware changes are few, some are significant, and the iPhone 4S has the advantage of using a largely proven design, which is “mostly” compatible with existing accessories. It also has the most apps, and often the best apps.




HTC One S: The HTC One S is an All-Rounder phone that has almost all features one could expect good brand value, build quality,and deserve every bit of penny spend on it.

[Review] FIFA 2012

Well, I normally don't write about games or I hardly play much games but when it comes to football, I'm a little addicted. Anyway, as I was going through the apps on my iPhone 4, I decided to blog about the FIFA 2012.

When you tap on the FIFA app, this is what you get....it loads pretty quickly...not bad for an app as big as this one...

I like the interface very much and it's good that Rooney is the key figure here...after all, I'm a Red Devils' fan...

Alright, there are a few things that I want to compliment about EA Games in developing the FIFA 2012 app...it's simple to use and it's quick...while graphic might still need improvement, it's really one of those games that I felt worth the money...

Anyway, I go for a Quick Match which I think most people would...after all, playing games on the iPhone is more like passing time. I doubt I would go for the Manager Mode...

Well, when I tap on it, I get to select the league that I wanted....well, naturally, I go for my favourite team, Manchester United...and let's play against the best team at the moment, Barcelona!!

After making the team selection, here is the Pre-Match Central, where you get to choose your starting eleven, stadium, weather...etc...and to my surprise, I get to choose the type of ball I wanted to use for the game...

Initially, the ball chosen was Nike Seitiro - PL (not that I know what it means) but then I changed it into another ball.

Somehow, I like the yellow colour...and there you go, Nike Seitiro HI-VIS (whatever it means)...I happened to see Reebok ball as well but let's say I'm more into Nike than Reebok...it's something like I prefer Ronaldo than Messi. (haha!!)

After that, I make sure that I chose Old Trafford as the stadium...there is an option to choose for the weather....the image with the question mark means random and I go for that one...

Well well well, the Game Settings and I opt for 6 mins game play for halftime and I chose Beginner as the Difficulty Level...
I looked at the Starting 11 on my team and I think I'm good to go...

After that, it's kickoff time!!

The loading time is not too long and this is the image you'll see while waiting for the game to load...the similar bar loading at the bottom is there for those of you who are used to playing FIFA on the PC.

This is how it feels playing the FIFA 2012 on the iPhone 4.

The screen feels a little too small and while the button could be pressed easily, it felt awkward moving with it...and at times, my hands are blocking my view of the game. Nevertheless, it was one of the best controls that I have seen on the iPhone 4 for a football game thus far.




Alright here is the game: Manchester United vs FC Barcelona


As the game starts, it shows the stadium and the players warming up...pretty similar to the usual ones that we see on the PC...but one thing for sure....I was too used to the amazing graphic on the PC that it seems a little pixelated image on the iPhone 4, especially with the players...it reminds me of the earlier version of FIFA although this still seems to be better.

Manchester United players warming up

Alright, as you can see from the image above, the controls are here...it's fairly easy to understand....directions are controlled like how one used joystick...and then there is shoot, sprint, pass....basic stuff!!

When the opponents are having the ball, we have slide (tackle), sprint tackle, and switch. We could also switch players by tapping on the players that we wanted to use...pretty user friendly and smart I would say.

And here is the first goal!! Rooney!!

We have the replay immediately after that like the normal ones that we have on the PC...

Second goal! Rooney again!!

Corner kick! I kinda like the idea of tapping at the person that you wanted to cross to...it makes it easy in a way...which leads to the third goal!! Hernandez!!

Celebration was pretty real but the movement of the players feel a little awkward and look at Anderson here...definitely doesn't look like him here...and Hernandez....it just doesn't have any resemblance in it.


GOAL!! GOAL!! GOAL!!

Check this tackle!! Done it on purpose....

And as the final whistle blow, we have the players walking out in dejection while some in celebration...

Final score: Manchester United 8 - 2 FC Barcelona

How I wish it is the real scoreline...nevertheless, the FIFA 2012 is definitely an amazing game on the iPhone 4....a game that requires more effort while playing....I guess it's one of those games that I would say worth the money...so if you haven't get yours, it's time to do so...especially for football fans!!