Who would of thought just a few short years ago that we would see such an explosion of personal devices designed to keep us in touch with our friends, play games, check the weather, search for a cafe, shop for clothes, read a magazine, or even order a Pizza?
Windows is a bit of a late starter in the Smart Phone scene, but from all reports are determined to make their presence felt in a big way around the world. Partnering with Nokia, one of the true giants in mobile phones, we will see a range of Windows based handsets in Australia targeting the business user, and the social network scene. Evidence of this is the introduction of the new Pizza Hut "App" designed to make Pizza ordering a breeze. Complete with the ability to save Pizza preferences and one touch saved ordering, you can specify a delivery time, and in a future version will also be able to watch the count down to delivery.
I hear you say, "how ridiculous" but have you ever been sitting at home on a Friday night and decide Pizza would be a good idea? Then the ensuing arguments about who will call the order through, who is having what Pizza, do we want garlic bread? Selecting your Pizza on an "App" all of a sudden seems like a good idea. No awkward conversations with some Pizza delivery boy that really hates answering the phone, no need to scribble out the order on a scrap of paper, and best of all, no arguments about who calls the order through. With the prolific use of smart phones today, everyone is ready to order Pizza !
A couple of weeks ago I loaded the new Android operating system on to my Samsung Galaxy S2.
Named as Icecream Sandwich...Google insist on having these strange names for their Android versions... this version 4.03 is designed for the latest crop of handsets and tablets running Android.
The main things I have noticed, as far as improvements are concerend are related to multi tasking. The phone generally runs smoother, and switches between applications swiftly and effectively.
It takes a little bit of time to recognise some of the changes as you delve deeper in to the day to day use of a smart phone. There has been upgrades to the Email client, using my work Exchange account, and it took me a couple of days to figure out some of the improvements. It's now easier to attach a file to an email, and like a desk top PC, I can attach any file on my phone, or I can take a photo and share that easily. Speaking of photos, renaming, cropping, rotating and editing photos is much easier. The Galaxy S2 takes great 8MP photos by the way, and I love the panorama shooting mode. (See photo of the Hiroshima Peace Park below)
The menu system has been changed slightly, and I have found the settings are easier to find and adjust. Things like accessing the the data usage menu, and being able to set data limits and warnings are great, given that a Smart phone can easily use a lot of data if you are not mindful of this. Power saving features have improved, and I am getting about 30% more from my battery life, which is fantastic!
If you are considering a Smart phone, or looking to upgrade one, I recommend the Samsung Galaxy S2 as one of the most user friendly and highly specced phones on the market today, and now with the upgrade to ANDROID 4.0, it's even better. As a matter of fact, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus that is being heavily promoted as the first ANDROID 4.0 phone on the Australian market is actually an older phone with lower features, so now that the Galaxy S2 has been given this upgrade... it's definitely my choice.
iPad 3, iPad 3, iPad 3 It seems that all the tech media talk in recent weeks was the imminent release of the Apple iPad 3. Such a lot of media and consumer attention for such a small change in design.
I am not saying the iPad 3 is not a good piece of kit, but it is not a quantum leap that encourages consumers to upgrade from the iPad 2. Only if you feel the absolute need for higher resolution graphics does it make any sense. In ordinary use day by day, I do not believe the higher res screen will make much difference when using the iPad 3 to access the web, or even watching YouTube.
Maybe there is enough graphics grunt to make movie watching a little more pleasurable, but this really is a personal thing given the size of the screen and the unlikeliness of a family sitting around their much lauded iPad 3 in the lounge room watching Ice Age 4.
What all this hype does show is that Apple have managed to create more than a user friendly tablet and smart phone (iPhone). They have pulled the ultimate marketing coup... creating buying frenzies and media attention around the world, all talking about the next release device from Apple. Even going so far as to encourage rumours about upcoming product upgrades, what might or might not be included or improved on. Talk about controlling a market.
I am even guilty of joining in the hype, discussing the Apple iPad 3 here or even the iPhone in earlier blog posts.
Those that know me know that I am a fan of Android, but even the best competitor against the iPad 3, Samsung's beautiful Galaxy Tab 10.1 leaves me feeling a little under whelmed. Don't get me wrong. I love my Samsung tablet, lighter than the iPad, thin, bright screen and all. But why did Samsung remove the advantages they had over the iPad by using a propriety connector in stead of micro USB? Why did they remove the ability to upgrade memory via micro SD card slot. These were the things that made Samsung competitive with the original Galaxy Tab 7.
Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon every day. It will always be exciting to read through content from other writers and practice a little something from their websites.
This is an electronic payment system for smart phones that communicates with the new EFTPOS Terminals being rolled out by banks into retail channels.
Essentially, you are able to have all your credit card details and personal information stored on your mobile smart phone using an App. Just like you can simply "flash" your chipped credit card at a retailer now and the payment is deducted quickly and automatically, NFC via a mobile wallet will take this even further giving the consumer control over a number of credit cards or accounts. This clever technology will eventually mean there will be no reason to carry a wallet full of credit cards or cash, and once again the humble mobile phone becomes even more entwined and entangled into our lives.
Last year in May, I said this new technology would be introduced in a short period of time to Australia, and now it is a reality. We are already using "Chipped" Credit Cards for swipe payments and the new NFC technolgy is now starting to appear in Smart Phones this year.
Google isn't the only one developing Apps and NFC for payments, as Apple is also rumoured to be developing the same type of technology for their popular iPhone.
The rexently launched Google Samsung Galaxy Nexus Smart Phone has a smart chip included to allow the use of NFC, and HTC have just launched the "Velocity" smartphone in Australia with NFC included.
I welocome your thoughts about NFC payments, and eliminating the need for a wallet full of cards and cash? Will we also carry our ID in our smartphones? No need for a driver's licence? Are we safe? is Big Brother watching?
There are many questions around this technology, but at the end of the day I believe most of us will be using Near Field Communication (NFC) on our smart phones to make purchases.
Australians are often the first to embrace new technology, so I feel we will jump on board with NFC too.
The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas set a new record, increasing attendance on last year by 10% to reach an amazing 153,000.
So how big is the famous CES show. Try 3,100 exhibitors, 153,000 attendees and 173,000 square metres of space.
There are many hits and misses at a show of this size, but one thing is for sure. It is the launch pad for many new and improved consumer electronics products set to make an impact over the coming months as manufacturers strive to bring the latest gizmos to market before their competitors.
However, there really doesn't seem to be anything that is groundbreaking. Mostly the new products seen this year are evolutions of electronics products that are readily available now.
Tablets get lighter and faster. Mobile Phones get faster and more highly specced. Battery life gets extended. Television pictures get brighter and definition gets higher. Size does matter, but it's about how thin manufacturers can make the latest TV, Smart Phone or Tablet, all while ensuring the camera is better, the battery lasts longer and the user experience is improved.
3D TV will improve as the need for bulky glasses are eliminated. As a matter of fact, LG have already launched a 3D Mobile Phone with dual lens camera that allows the user to take high definition 3D photos and videos and vew them on the phone in glorious 3d without the need for additional glasses. I like to call this technology "Naked 3D". Now that would be something special !
If you want to see more about this years CES in Las Vegas, then visit http://www.cesweb.org/
The people at Microsoft have been relatively quiet for a while now, as the Tech Market seems totally focused on Apple's IOS and Google's Android opertating systems.
Interestingly, Apple uses 2 opertaing systems, one computers and one for Tablets and Smart Phones.
Android uses the one system for Tablets and Smart Phones, while syncing with PC's running Mac or Windows.
So... what about the upcoming Windows 8 ? Microsoft have been sitting in the back grownd building what looks like a very clever operating system to challenge both Google and Apple in 2012.
Windows 8 is designed from the bottom up and is destined to run on Smart Phones, Tablets and Slates, PC's and laptops. It is very much a cross platform opertaing system with full touch and keyboard support.
Google's Nexus phone has been a long time coming to the shores of Australia.
Produced by Samsung, and known in OZ as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, this smart phone is pitched at the high level consumer looking for the best of the best.
What makes this phone special are two key features that set it apart from all other smartphones in the market today.
1. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the first phone in Australia to come loaded with the much anticipated Android Icecream Sandwich opertaing system. This new OS is the pinacle of Google's popular system for smart phones bringing a better consumer experience, faster speeds and improved muti-tasking. Everything the high end user needs.
2. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is also the first SmartPhone in Australia to sport a "Near Field Communication" (NFC) chip. This brings a whole new technology to SmartPhones, allowing you to use your Galaxy Nexus as your credit card, paying for items at wave and pay outlets, which are becoming more prevalent in the Australian market.
You can read more about this technology in an earlier post of mine here.
The Motorola Xoom has arrived at jenlist Distributors and makes a great alternative to the Apple iPad if you are looking for a sophisticated handheld Tablet capable of delivering exceptional performance and versatility.
With 32Gb of on board memory, Micro SD slot to expand memory by a further 32GB, WiFi and a Dual Core 1.2 Mghz processor, this 10.1 inch tablet has the power and spped to meet almost all your portabel comuting needs.
The version we are selling is WiFi only and retails at $599.
You can pair this with a pocket Wifi from Optus, Boost Mobile of Virgin Mobile and enjoy computing on the go.
The Motorola Xoom is running the latest Android 3.1 Honeycomb operating system designed specifically for larger screen tablets like the Xoom. Honeycomb offer true mutlitasking enabling you to quickly switch between running programs and APPS.
Yes, the Eco Switch has arrived at Jenlist Distributors.
Donna and I attended the QNF (Queensland Newsagents Federation) conference earlier this year. During the one day conference, the theme focussed on a sustainable future.
Well, part of a sustainable future is reducing our power consumption, and the bonus is by doing this we can also reduce our power bill... saving money.
Many newsagents at the QNF conference asked me if Jenlist would be carrying power saving devices, both to seel at retail and also to assist retailers in saving power (and money) in their business.
The Eco Switch is all about the KISS principal. Simply plug the Eco Switch into the wall, connect your appliance, typically something like a flat screen Plasma television, etc and locate the convenient on/off switch in a easily reached location and start saving money. It really is that simple.
I was lucky enough to spend 10 days in Japan recently. In fact this was my second trip to Japan. The first time was a skiing holiday, and I have to say, the powder skiing in Japan is as good as they say.
So, this time in Japan was for my Nephews wedding. He and his fiance are both Australian and live here in Australia but have had the opportunity to work in Japan for a few months and obviously love it. That's why about 40 family and friends made the trek to Japan for their tradional Japanese style wedding. What an experience!
Naturally, I couldn't help myself and had to check out the mobile phone scene in Japan. The first thing that struck me whilst travelling on the excellent Japanese rail system was that just about all the younger generation are glued to their mobile phones, staring at the screen sending text, surfing the web, watching film clips, or something. The next thing I noticed was the considerable lack of the Apple iPhone. Honestly, I think I saw about 4, and I saw thousands of Mobiles whilst on the train, bus or even on the street.
So I decided that this needed further investigation. I went to the 2 main Mobile Carriers in Japan, JP DoCoMo and Softbank to check out their range and offers. This was no easy task, as I have next to no Japanese language skills and the very polite and attentive sales staff at these shops had about as much English. The above photos are taken from a very comprehensive catalogue I picked up and show typical handsets on offer. Flip and slide phones are very popular, as is Android based Smart Phones. No iPhone in the catalogue, although one store had a sign out the front stating the iPhone was available on a 24 month contract for 6000 YEN per month (about AU$85). Smart phones are the rage, and Android leads in Japan. There are many brands available, including the popular ones we know like Motorola, HTC, LG and Samsung, but there are also plenty of very good looking smart phones from Sharp, Pantech, Toshiba, and Casio.
What about Prepaid? Well, this is interesting. Unlike Australia, or Hong Kong, Canada, USA, UK, etc, Japan has a distinct lack of Prepaid. Softbank offers one handset for 1050 YEN (AU$150) outright with no credit, and credit is another 600 YEN (AU$85). That was about the only Prepaid Mobile I could find. Only available in a phone shop and credit could only be bought there as well from what I could gather. There was certainly no convenience shops, or the equivalent of a newsagency, etc selling any type of Prepaid Mobile.
When I arrived in Japan I thought I would do the same thing I did in Hong Kong recently, and pick up a Prepaid WiFi to allow me internet access whilst there. Guess what? There is no Prepaid Wifi in Japan! They do offer a Pocket WiFi on 4G. This is very fast at 42 Mps (6 x times our current speed) but is only available on a 24 month contract for 6000 YEN per month (AU$85)
Seems to me there could be a great opportunity for Prepaid Mobile in Japan, but I am sure many others have considered this and there must be a reason that Prepaid is not popular. Maybe the carriers have more than they need on contracts and with 2 major carriers and some 127 million people, I am sure they are doing just fine.
On a good note, the mobile service in Japan proved to be very good whilst roaming, and data speeds were excellent. There are a number of Free WiFi spots to be found and the mobile carriers offer their customers WiFi access just about everywhere, including on public transport.
If you have been to another country and would like to share your expereince, then please do so. I would love to hear about other countries Mobile carriers, service and offers.
Who would of thought just a few short years ago that we would see such an explosion of personal devices designed to keep us in touch with our friends, play games, check the weather, search for a cafe, shop for clothes, read a magazine, or even order a Pizza?
The menu system has been changed slightly, and I have found the settings are easier to find and adjust. Things like accessing the the data usage menu, and being able to set data limits and warnings are great, given that a Smart phone can easily use a lot of data if you are not mindful of this. Power saving features have improved, and I am getting about 30% more from my battery life, which is fantastic!
The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas set a new record, increasing attendance on last year by 10% to reach an amazing 153,000.
8 looks to Close the Gap
The Motorola Xoom has arrived at jenlist Distributors and makes a great alternative to the Apple iPad if you are looking for a sophisticated handheld Tablet capable of delivering exceptional performance and versatility.
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