Author: Aditya Kane

Categories
Analysis

Has Apple reached its Peak or hit a Plateau? [Infographic]

Apple is the world most valued company. It is also one of the most profitable companies in the world. The profits really are raked in by the billions by the uber-successful iPhone.

There are also other trends likes less iPhone users want to buy another iPhone compared to previous years. Also Apple has missed the expected sales for iPhone 5. It was expected to sell over 6 million phones but ended up selling only 5 million.

After Apple stocks fell by record numbers over the last week, I thought taking a look at this infographic by Online Business Degree.

Apple_Peak_Plateau

Even if Apple has reached its peak, it still has a massive momentum. And this momentum will continue for atleast a couple of years. In the meanwhile, Apple could possibly open up new markets for itself in China. It might introduce a new device like a television set or even a wearable computer, which could keep Apple right at the top all over again.

Do drop in your comments.

Related: 65% of Users Cannot Live without their iPhones!

Categories
News

New Google Apps Sign-up No Longer Free

Google ApplicationsEven though at work I use a an app account which is a paid version, I have one which is free for a personal website. I was sent a email by Google that they would be discontinuing new sign-up of their free version of Google apps. While many people are using the paid version of Google apps, these free app accounts were a favorite of small business owners.

So here is how app users stand. Both paid and free versions of Google app accounts will remain intact. Only new sign-ups will not be allowed.

Currently the apps accounts is offering upto $50 per user for the whole year. For Indian users they are offering the same package at INR 2700/-

This price is a little too high but I think many small business owners will still sign-up.

ADVERTISEMENT

Why is Google shutting out Free Apps account?

While some websites are suggesting that Google makes revenues upto $1 billion from its App accounts offerings. It still has a several million users who are using the free version. Google app accounts is not just about the email but also offers Google Drive, Google Reader, Google+ and other Google related products. It might also be planning to bring out more offerings to compete better with Microsoft’s Enterprise solutions.

By the way if you are the worrying kind and want to move your Google+ circles and followers from app account to Gmail, so check this tutorial out.

What are your views on Google apps removing the free package? Do drop in your comments.

Link: Google Apps

Categories
Reviews

Snapseed: The Best Photo Editing App is Now on Android [Free]

A few months ago Google bought on the most popular photo editing app on iPhones called Snapseed. Yesterday, as expected for some time, it released the Android version of the app. More importantly the app which was previously paid on iOS platfrom is now available free. I decided to give Snapseed a bit of a test drive and I can admit their boast about being the best photo editing app is  actually true.

Snapseed on Android is a free photo editing app with Google+ integration. It uses swipe gestures on the touch screen to control the editing options.

 Snapseed on Android Features

  • Snapseed basically allows editing photos by changing lighting, add filters, borders and adjust brightness, contrast and more.
  • I could also carrying out a lot of adjustments to a photo like cropping, rotate and other details.
  • The real winner is it uses touch swipe to control all the changes we apply on an image. This is actually very intutive and the best way to actually use the touch interface by a photo editing app.
  • Finally you can share the image directly on Google+ directly from the app itself. But I belive that on Android (I and not tested it on iOS) the app can work with other apps to share the photo with Facebook, Twitter or even Dropbox.

Even though Snapseed is great for mobile phones. I think that it would really work best on tablet devices where every single change to a photo could be checked.

Try out Snapseed on your phone or tablet and drop in your comments.

Link: Snapseed Android | iPad

Categories
News

Google+ Communities Pushes for Interest Based Social Sharing

While I have never been a big fan of Facebook, I love following some really interesting groups on it. It is the one feature I have always complained about missing on Google+. Not any longer, Google+ has not started rolling out “Communities” feature today. The new Google+ Communities feature should show up over the next 24 hours on your account.

While some might say that Google+ Communities is yet another borrowed idea from Facebook, but it really is very different.

How are Google+ Communities different from Facebook Groups

  • The big difference is that on Google+ Communities, the discussions can be separated under different categories. Nothing like that exists on Facebook Groups. Actually it resembles the old school forum style discussion groups. Google Groups itself is created on similar lines, so maybe they are leaving room for more integration in the future.
  • The privacy model is very similar to Facebook groups. It allows Private communities, public communities where all posts are public and finally hidden communities which are not indexed publicly.
  • Hangouts can also be held between community members. This is going to be a big deal for DIY (Do it yourself) communities. Unfortunately on Facebook groups, only text chatting works.
ADVERTISEMENT

Facebook has a very irritating feature that allows users to add their friends without permission to a group. I was not able to check if Google+ had omitted this one as Google+ Communities is not available on my account as yet.

Google+ Communities Video

Google+ is a place were we search for things based on interest, while on Facebook it is a lot more about searching for people we know. This could really give Google+ a lot of great traction as communities are perfect for finding like minded people instead of just people you know.

Has your Google+ account got the Communities feature? Do drop in your first impressions in your comments.

(via Google Blog)

Categories
Reviews

Compare Prices on Your Android Phone with MySmartPrice App

Imagine you are a store that sells mobile phones or laptops. Usually I have used MySmartPrice’s website to compare prices offered by online retailers. It sometimes can help you get a discount from a physical store. More importantly you know if you are not getting ripped off. MySmartPrice has rolled out a Android app which also allows price comparison.The listed items are several and the prices are mined from several Indian e-commerce websites.

MySmartPrice’s Android App to Compare Prices

  • I found the app very simple. The focus mainly geared towards mobile phones, electronics goods and computers.
  • Browse through the categories and look up the name of the company under which various items are sub-categorized. It shows the list of those items available with their prices.
  • Tap on one of them and we get the cheapest price of that particular selection. We can swipe and look up specifications and also a complete list of prices from various online retail portals in India.
  • I was a little disappointed to not find a “books” category to look up the prices. I guess for books available on Indian sites, you might like to check out Low Price app.
Check out MySmartPrice’s Android app and do drop in your comments.
Link: MySmartPrice Android App
Categories
News

Dropbox Links: Share Files and Folders with Non-Dropbox users

Dropbox has a great way for sharing files using links.With Dropbox Links it allows users to share files and folders of any size with practically anyone. The ones accessing the shared files will not even need a Dropbox account. Earlier this could be done, only if with files shared on a public folder.

Dropbox has removed the restrictions of size and type of files which can be shared publicly. So basically the file size depends on the storage limit of your account.

Dropbox Links Features

Log into your account and click on the “Link” icon next to any folder or file. You can share it with a simple URL.

If you are using Dropbox from your PC, right-click on the folder and under Dropbox, select “Share Link”.That will direct you to the Dropbox web portal.

Any user with access to the shared link will be able to view the folder and files. They will not be required to have their own Dropbox account.

At the “Dropbox Links” dashboard, users can access the files shared previously and also remove them (see below).

With Dropbox’s new photo-viewing UI, I find it the best way to share photos with people who don’t have an account. There is no doubt that Dropbox is taking aim at Google Drive. Google had rolled out options of adding large attachments over upto 10 GB from Google Drive into Gmail.

I have been using Dropbox for almost three years now. While I also use Google Drive mainly for work, I still do most of my personal file storing and sharing on Dropbox.

What are your views on Dropbox Links? Do drop in your comments

Link: Dropbox Links

Categories
News

Apple launches iTunes Store in India

Apple has launched a new iTunes store available in India. The iTunes India store has a lot of India centric content and more importantly the pricing is affordable.

The new iTunes store, has been launched in 56 counties which includes India. While Flipkart also has introduced DRM-free MP3 music files, iTunes has gone a step further. Users can download movies in HD formats and the pricing again is a big incentive.

Indian centric content now available on iTunes at affordable prices

Movies can typically be rented or bought outright. For instance one of the latest Hindi movie was priced at INR 120 for renting and could be bought for INR. 420. The SD versions available are a lot cheaper.

Rented movies typically allow users 30 days to watch the movie, while once you start watching the movie, it has to be finished within 48 hours.

ADVERTISEMENT

The music seemed to be typically prices around INR 20 but some international songs were available for over INR 100.

Apple atleast at the moment of writing this post, has not declared any tie-up with major Indian film studios and music companies but looking at the the listing of content available, I won’t be surprised with Apple having some sort of tie-ups in India.

Future of iTunes India Store

Even though the sale of iPhones is not as high as other countries particularly because of their high price, iPod are actually sold in pretty strong numbers. Also considering India’s movie and music industry is huge, the iTunes India specific store could actually end up being a pretty big deal.

Flipkart, whose Flyte store which is now selling e-books and music might have some worrying to do but honestly their app is cross-platform.

Categories
News

Google to host Great Indian Shopping Festival in India on 12th December 2012

I have always wondered why online retailers in India do not have something that is similar to “Cyber Monday” discount sales. In the U.S, online retail giants offer special discounts on the Monday that follows the “Thanksgiving weekend”. India does not really have anything similar for its online shoppers.

That is hopefully about to change with Google joining hands with the largest e-commerce portals in India to roll out a single day discount event.

Google - Great Online Shopping Festival

It is dubbed the Great Online Shopping Festival and has popular online retailers like Flipkart, Myntra, Jabong, HomeShop 18, snapdeal, Big Rock, Yebhi and many more are involved.

Why are “Shopping Festivals” important in the online world?

ADVERTISEMENT

Why physical retailers have their shopping festivals coinciding with festival holidays like Diwali and Christmas. Online shopping festivals with attractive discounts act try to replicate the sort of heavy shopping activity. Even though India has over 120 million internet users, buying things online has not really caught on as much as it has in other countries.

Maybe such coordinated efforts would give it the right amount of boost for online shopping to really take off in a big way in India.

Do visit GOSF website and let me know your views on discount sale festival in your comments.

Link: Great Online Shopping Festival

Categories
News

Guess What Facebook is Shopping for this Christmas? It’s Whatsapp

It is the last month of the year and Facebook seems to be in the mood for doing some Christmas shopping. The possible first in it’s shopping list could be Whatsapp Messenger.

Whatsapp is a hugely popular text messaging app and it is known to serve upto 1 billion text messages every single day. It works cross-platforms and almost on any smartphone.

Why Whatsapp is perfect for Facebook?

Facebook has over a billion active users. That number has mass but for its numbers, they are hardly raking in massive revenues. Facebook is traditionally strong as a social product accessed from the desktop browser. It has always been perceived as weak on mobile phones.

ADVERTISEMENT

Facebook has tried to fix by buying Instagram, which is a mobile only photo app that also is social. So what could be next? Whatsapp, seems to be perfect. Most smartphones users across platforms are using Whatsapp for text messaging. Also text messaging is a social activity that no traditional social network has really explored with any kind of success.

The rumours are still floating about this acquisition and it could end up being just that. Even if Facebook does not acquire Whatsapp, it might just have started a bidding war with Google and other interested companies.

Interestingly, this piece of news emerges on the 20th anniversary of the birth of the SMS.

Are you using Whatsapp and will you be happy if it is bought by Facebook? Do drop in your comments and views.

(via TechCrunch)

Categories
News

Facebook Introduces Automatic Photo Syncing from Mobile Phones

Facebook today has announced a new feature on its mobile phone apps for iPhones and Android phones. It is called PhotoSync and like it’s name, it allows users to automatically upload their photos on Facebook from their phones.

If you current have a Android or iPhone, then open the Facebook app. You can see the photos section (image below) from the navigation menu.

Facebook Automatic Photo Syncing
The photo sync feature for Facebook is available on Android and iOS apps.

The photos section should show up a sync option. Select it to sync your photos that are on your phone to Facebook.

Privacy on Photo Syncing by Facebook

ADVERTISEMENT

Facebook sets the privacy of all synced photos to private. That means only the user can view these photos. Later you can select a bunch of photos from among the “Private” album and share it in a post with select friends.

The current storage limit for “synced photos” is 2 GB.

Automatic uploading of photos from Camera to a a website is not exactly a new idea. Google+ has long ago implemented this idea. Dropbox too has a similar service to allow any mobile phone connected with computer to sync photos.

Are you comfortable with the syncing all your photos automatically on Facebook? Do drop in your comments.