iPhone 5. Major Win vs. Huge Disappointment

To tell the truth, it isn’t a surprise now that Apple Inc. remains in the public focus all the time, and any news or rumours, regarding the company’s products, are spread in a glimpse of an eye and further widely-discussed among users and IT experts.

Logically, the announced presentation of iPhone 5 on September, 12 has been a long-expected event for analysts and numerous admirers in different parts of the world. In fact, the promising release was somewhat a potentially miraculous device for everybody, no matter if a person is already acquainted with iPhones or not. And there you go, or better to say, there you have it, but what are the impressions?

Truth be told, I hoped for more. Back in the times when we just got the 4S version, iPhone 5 was like a future unattainable treasure for the majority of people, yet what they have eventually received appears to be nothing but an updated variation, but not the treasure, after all. 

The brand-new iPhone 5 has become a bit thinner, a bit narrower and a bit prolonged. It also features upgraded camera and screen peculiarities and has a lot to offer in terms of other functional aspects. Yet, is it a really revolutionary smartphone? It’s seemingly doubtful.

For what it takes, Apple has always been one step ahead both in exceeding our expectations and the opposing products. Nonetheless, the situation has, unfortunately, altered after Tim Cook had become in charge in the company. It’s not that he is a bad manager, it’s not even about  iPhone 5 being a bad device, but having witnessed so many inconceivable devices from the brand in the past, nothing but another miracle is suitable.

Yes, we are, perhaps, too fastidious, too picky, too demanding, but that’s, probably, the only logical evolution of consumer community, which can’t but happen with time. We all crave for the high-quality services, devices and products, so it won’t be a problem to move from iOS to Android in the same way like many of us have already moved from Dropbox to a more beneficial app 4Sync, for instance. Yes, we are picky, but what is even more crucial is that we deserve to have our opinion valued and appreciated.

Stay cool)

Andyc

Hackathon Reveals Numerous Talents. Meet MemStash

Without any doubt, TechCrunch Disrupt event can be named one of the most essential tech-related events of the year. Launched in San Francisco this time, the conference has gathered numerous IT specialists, including the more experienced experts and real newbies as well.

Along with the exhibition part, comprising creative presentations of young businesses, like the cloud ice cream treats from 4Sync, a great deal of fascinating things have also happened at Hackathon. The competition has unveiled multiple startup talents, among which MemStash Project plays one of the most prominent parts. 

The essence of MemStash is as simple as one can only imagine, as the app is designed to help people memorize stuff. At the same time, the innovative part is related to the ways, in which you are supposed to learn. In particular, the core principle of the service is developed on the basis of repetitive approach, so when you bookmark a certain part of text that you need to memorize, it’ll send you this piece via sms and e-mail, until you finally learn it.

Certainly, MemStash may be considered quite bothersome or even irritating by some people, but the main reason to try the app is that it’s really effective, no matter what the skeptics might claim. Like it or not, but you can’t help memorizing the foreign words, poems, telephone numbers or people’s faces, if you see them for multiple times and on the regular basis.

As MemStash authors state, the current app mode is only the beginning, and they’re planning to further upgrade it in the nearest future. As long as they remain as persistent as they are now, the chances to succeed are very high.

Startups’ Future Gets Brighter with AngelList Docs

It’s hard to argue with the fact that the introduction of crowdfunding and seed funding has opened a brand-new page in the IT world, where it’s far easier and quicker to start and develop your young business.

In fact, it’s really due to seed and crowdfunding, which has made it possible to realize creative ideas and further develop them, as long as you’ve got a convincing business plan for potential investors.

At the same time, it hasn’t been till now, that the actual results of successful deals (read: large money transactions) could be also conducted online within a resource, having brought investors and startup authors together. Well, the situation is likely to change for better, now that one of the major players in the niche AngelList introduces its Docs.

The essence of the project is absolutely simple: as long as the startup appears to have gathered sufficient amount of investors’ money, the deal can be so to say closed in the online mode. As soon as all required details (e.g. list of investors, total sum of money, etc.) are provided, AngelList Docs will create the term sheets and other agreement documents 100% automatically.

Not only the fresh project allows to spare time and efforts with the preparation of the mentioned papers, but as AngelList representatives claim, it will also enable to curtail formerly obligatory legal fees that are sometimes way too high to handle.

In a whole, with a great deal of rivals, including KickStarter and Y Combinator, for instance, that are today rapidly upgrading both the range and the quality of their services, Docs is what can really bring AngelList to the top of popularity among investors and, surely, startup creators as well.

Therefore, if you’re just thinking of founding your own business, it’d be helpful at least to check what Docs make possible for you to do, but only after you attend TechCrunch Disrupt 2012, SF.

That’s so as such a large-scale conference will open up a great deal of opportunities for startup authors, regarding their communication with other young, yet already successful IT companies and influential investors. As for “learning about others’ success part”, I’ve read that 4Sync will even be serving their special cloud ice-cream at the event, for example, so you will also have a chance to satisfy your physical, not just intellectual hunger.

Don’t miss your chance to take a step forward!

Oh, and stay cool)

Andy

ÜberGreat Taxis Got to “Uber” Service

If you’re still ordering taxis by phone being a US citizen, then you’re either fond of classics or a truly conservative person. Otherwise, you’d perhaps be for long get accustomed to getting a cab via the fresh convenient “Uber” service.

On to the Semantics

For those, who aren’t keen on German, the word Uber is recognized to be either a prefix or a preposition meaning “over/above”. In this respect, it’s absolutely logical, that the company founders have selected such a name for their enterprise.  

Pros vs. Cons

Believe it or not, but in some ways Uber is truly exceptional, even though I wouldn’t be sure it’s the very first rival in the relative niche. The taxi-ordering service also enables you to pay for the ride online, and the car is mostly provided exactly on time, so you don’t need to worry of being late for an important meeting or a flight, for instance.

At the same time, as there’s virtually nothing utterly perfect in the world, Uber has also got a few flaws of its own, like the price aspect, for example, or the necessity to take care of your payment account on a regular basis. Yet, are those real drawbacks?

For what it takes, no matter how much some people can argue, what we all crave for as consumers is comfort, and consequently, the simplicity of usage. Much because of that, Uber is a catch in the taxi-ordering sector, likewise as 4shared is a catch as the file storage, or Gmail is a catch as an e-mail service. It’s just the objective perspective.

Is it an E-Mail War? Microsoft Introduces Outlook.com

How it Was and Is

For what it takes, Microsoft belongs to one of the largest and the most powerful IT companies in the world, having millions of fans and admirers around the globe. Yet, the enterprise has somehow started losing its user ratings lately, much due to the growing demands for convenience and simplicity of its services. In particular, Microsoft’s old-known Outlook Express has already become quite an old-fashioned one among the range of e-mail options and is rarely used these days.

On the contrary, Google is generally considered a highly innovative company that invests much in making its products as user-friendly as possible, including perhaps the most popular e-mail service in the world Gmail.

How can it be?

Apparently, Microsoft has got sick and tired of its reputation to be an old-school IT competitor in the e-mail niche, as it’s recently presented its Outlook.com. As it’s stated, the fresh mailing rival is absolutely beneficial to try and can even overpower Gmail in its features. 

As the authors of Outlook.com pinpoint, the most obvious advantages of the service are related to seemingly unlimited amount of space for letters, its integration with famous social networks and the possibility to create e-mail aliases for users’ convenience, not to mention the available WYSIWYG editor.

Sounds awesome, right?

 

How will it be?

Surely, it goes without saying that Microsoft has put incredible efforts into the development of Outlook.com, and the service can’t simply be a huge disappointment. At the same time, it’s seemingly doubtful that a lot of Gmail fans will move onto using the fresh rival. Why not? Well, it’s crystal clear: as long as you’re absolutely satisfied with what you have, you won’t bother to change your preferences. Likewise as with Gmail, you wouldn’t bother to move from the beloved Internet browser, music player or even file storage, like 4shared, for example. What for?

Therefore, even though Outlook.com has good chances to find its devoted admirers, all talks about its future conquer of the e-mail world can be considered a good joke. At least, that’s how I see it.

Stay cool)

Andy

Innovative Search Options: BitLy Takes a Step

It has become pretty common lately to shorten long links and make them simpler to share with others. I wouldn’t even exaggerate to state that the majority of us are quite accustomed to using services, like BitLy for the described so to say “shortening” purpose.

This is how it was in the past. The thing is that from now on, BitLy isn’t only specialized in one specific niche, but is likely to expand its fame to a considerable extent, having introduced its search engine for trendy links in social media. Someone would, perhaps, say that this sector is totally occupied by Google for good, but they might happen to be wrong.

The reason is that what RealTine by BitLy offers is not really the search engine we’re more acquainted with: it enables users to define a number of search parameters, which help specify and acquire the most relative results. Similarly to what 4shared.com, for instance, offers to define to find the needed file, the new service provides the options to narrow the results to particular social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr), geographical location, language and sphere in addition to the entered keyword. 

Being now available in its closed beta version only, RealTime is accessible to BitLy registered users, and you need to have your sign-up application approved. Fortunately, the approval usually takes little time (at least mine was checked within a few minutes), so you don’t have to wait to start surfing for the trendy links. At the same time, be prepared to find out that the received results aren’t always satisfactory either in the quantity of links or their actual relativity.

For what it takes, BitLy has always had something innovative from the moment the service entered the market, and the creation of RealTime works as the perfect proof of such statement. Who cares that it won’t, obviously, become the next Google for trendy links, if it still provides us with something highly significant: the choice of which app or service to opt for.

Facebook Ads: Targeting Digs into Mobile Apps

It became clear quite a while ago that one of the weakest aspects in the profitability of Facebook was related to the monetization of mobile audience, that is, getting more revenue from users, who access FB on their smartphones and tablets. Therefore, as soon as the owners of the service were done with the IPO fuss, they got down to business.

As for now, it’s already possible to browse the first steps in the company’s new mobile ad strategy: FB has integrated specific mobile app targeting options, which enable track, which apps are installed on their gadgets and thus display only related ads in the mobile version of the site.

Such app targeting innovations are, undoubtedly, essential for Facebook and can increase the company’s profits to a considerable extent. The definition of what mobile applications people are using, will, actually, enable to figure out what users wish to have, what they are willing to pay and give them the ad they will respond to. Not bad, ha? 

Certainly, the introduced differentiated mobile app ads appear to be much better, than just the usage of provided basic users’ info, like personal interests or place of birth, for instance. Moreover, it hides so much potential that can, in fact, make Facebook owners much wealthier, than they hope. Yet, is it just?

With the time on, our personal data becomes more and more accessible to versatile services, leaving no space for what we used to know as “private”. It sometimes seems that we are always watched or tracked by someone, who can use the information, which isn’t supposed to become public, when it’s necessary.

Obviously, the reasons why Facebook mobile ads dive more into our lives through newly-added targeting options are related to money, but there should surely be predefined the line of privacy, which the companies should be forbidden to go beyond.

I often miss the times, when the information you provide only included the chosen name, e-mail address and password, like it is still required at 4shared, nothing more, so that I can keep what I like, who I know and apps I use to myself. 

Stay cool)

Andy