They are without many peers — in opulence, elegance, comfort or design. The sheer grandeur of luxury suites at Dubai's five- and seven-star hotels is years ahead of its global competition. Its frenetic and futuristic ways have made the desert city unstoppable in its enthusiasm to be ahead of the herd, and to have the first of the firsts. Here are five hospitality hallmarks of Dubai, known for its high-end lifestyle.Luxury's Playground: Burj Al ArabStately iconic and globally renowned, Burj Al Arab is an all-suite seven-star hotel standing tall on its own man-made island. From a Rolls Royce limousine pick-up from the airport to an Arabian reception at the suite, our visit to Burj was all about elegance. The evening served more of it: champagne, caviar and spectacular views of the ocean, The Palm Islands and the Dubai skyline. The luxury suite where we were staying was done up in bright hues and had just the right amount of bling with 24-carat gold fittings. But one of the most pampering features of the stay was the 24x7 butler who fulfilled our every whim for Arabian sweets. If the suite was awe inspiring, the restaurants had us marvelling. The fine-dining rooftop restaurant Al Muntaha has a sea-facing glass elevator, while the seafood restaurant Al Mahara's live aquarium is jaw-dropping. And just when we thought things couldn't get better, a chopper from atop the hotel's circular helipad flew us across the megapolis, back to the swanky airport. Alhamdulillah! OUT OF THE WAY: Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel is lit up to showcase its full glory, and (top) the Dubai Musical Fountain set against the cityscape, as seen from the Armani Hotel Dubai (Photos provided by the authors) Continental Luxury: Ibn Battuta Gate HotelWe followed the footsteps of the great traveller Ibn Battuta, scaling the heights of this 396-room five-star outpost with its iconic 60-metre-high arched gate. Mövenpick Hotels' Swiss hospitality reflects in the chic design of the living areas and public spaces of this grand hotel. Ibn Battuta's cross-continental travels and experiences are frozen in theme suites inspired by Andalusia to Morocco to India, China, Russia, and Tanzania, and radiate unhindered affluence. Most of the furnishings are in deep velvet and rich brocade. Latticed screens, sparkling bed linen, thematic lighting and the choicest of flooring covers, carpets and dhurries add verve and elegance to the rooms.Minimalistic Marvel: Armani Hotel DubaiAt the svelte new iconic address in downtown Dubai, imagination skyrockets to dizzying altitudes. The Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world and a spectacular architectural wonder, houses the platinum-crested Armani Hotel. As we glide into the dedicated entrance of the hotel, an understated aura ushers us within its minimalistic environs. Conceived and created by renowned designer Giorgio Armani, this super luxury haven has his touch in all elements of design. The Armani Hotel occupies the concourse to levels 8, 38 and 39, offering jaw-dropping views of the city. Our glass-walled Fountain Suite was full of chic amenities and at night, we stood speechless looking at the latest water feature below the Burj Khalifa — the seamlessly graceful pyrotechnics displayed on sashaying musical fountain waves against the steel and mirrored backdrops of this architectural icon. BURJ AL ARAB, Grand Luxury SuiteIBN BATTUTA GATE HOTEL, Executive Bedroom Design Delight: Jumeirah Emirates TowerIt is one of Dubai's most recognizable places on the ultra-zippy Sheikh Zayed Road. With 51 floors, this skyscraper is European in design, with a dynamic linear layout and a wondrous art gallery. We were shown around the ‘ladies only' Chopard Floor on level 40, serviced only by women. All suites radiate geometric finesse and complementing upholstery. Flush storage enclaves in natural finish veneer and straight line panache dominate the design. Suavely Scandinavian: Radisson Blu HotelCheery colours of modern linear design opulently reflect across the environs of this hotel as we sail into its avant garde reception and onto the sumptuous executive suite. Stylish décors, chic furniture, muted shades, excellent spot lighting all blend harmoniously. State-of-the-art Scandinavian couches, soft flooring covers, frosted glass, walk-in wardrobes and bath fittings in steel and ceramic result in modernism elevated to functional excellence.The Iyengars are luxury travel and high-end lifestyle writers(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 21-05-2012)
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What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive," said golfing legend Arnold Palmer, describing his love for the sport. If you are a golf enthusiast, you probably feel the same. So this summer, why not give museums, theatres, and beaches a wide berth and plan a holiday, or should we say a pilgrimage, to some of the greatest fairways across the world?Start by booking a flight to Edinburgh, Scotland, and driving for an hour to reach the home of golf — the St. Andrews Links, where the game has been played since 1400 AD.Today there are six public golf courses making St. Andrews Links the largest such complex in Europe. However, being one of the most famous also means that bookings are made almost six months in advance. But don't lose heart, the club realises that there are several pilgrims who land up in the hope of playing a round at the Old Course. As a result, nearly half of the total number of tee times on the Old Course are allocated through a ballot drawn just 48 hours before play. We suggest you book a hotel nearby for a few days and try for the ballot, if there are two or more of you. On the other hand, if you are going alone, you can play on the Old Course by approaching the Starter early in the morning of the day you wish to play. He will try to join you up with the first available two or three-ball.While you are on the Isles, you must visit the Royal County Down in Northern Ireland. Set up in 1889, it has been rated No. 5 in the ‘Top 100 Golf Courses' by Golf magazine. Legendary golfer Peter Alliss, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame just last week, has said that the links at the Royal County Down were the best prepared ones that he had ever seen.Royal County Down is situated to the north of the coastal resort of Newcastle, in the foothills of the Mountains of Mourne, about 50 km south of Belfast. The club maintains a high standard of play, and to tee on the Championship Links, you need a handicap of 5 or better for men playing the Blue Tees and 4 or better for women playing the Yellow Tees. Also check out the Ballybunion, in the south west of the island, set up in 1893. Tom Watson fell in love with the course and wrote, "After playing at the Ballybunion for the first time, a man would think golf originated here."Of the 32,000 golf courses across the world, 50 of the top 100 (as ranked by Golf) are in the US, 24 in Great Britain, 8 in Australia and New Zealand, and 8 in Europe. However, most of these, such as the Pine Valley and Augusta National in the US and Morfontaine in France are exclusive for members.With the maximum number of greens, the US is an ideal golfing destination. While you can play in almost every state, we suggest you start with California, more specifically the Pebble Beach Golf Links, San Francisco. Rated the No. 1 public golf course in the country, the course was designed by Douglas Grant and Jack Neville in 1919. Jack Nicklaus has said, "If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach." Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic is considered the Caribbean's most complete resort and its Teeth of the Dog golf course designed by Pete Dye is the only one to feature in the top 100 from that part of the world. The added advantage is that you can take the whole family along, and for once they won't grudge you being on the greens, as with the sun, sea and sand, there is plenty for them to do as well. Northern Ireland: ROYAL COUNTY DOWN is one of the finest golf links, and is nestled at the feet of the Mountains of Mourne (Pic Courtesy: Aidan Bradley)Dominican Republic: CASA DE CAMPO has imposing coral shores and winding fairways, ideal for families, friends, and, well, golfers (Pic Courtesy: Casa De Campo) You need to be a member of a golf club in India and carry a letter of introduction to play at any of these clubs. Also, each has a minimum handicap requirement and you need to carry your golf handicap card with you.Golf clubs are real sticklers when it comes to dress code. So make sure you read the specifics on their website and pack your bags accordingly. For instance, the Royal St. Georges in England insists that visitors wear jackets and ties to the club house post 11 am. On the golf course, they may wear plain, tailored shorts but only in conjunction with long socks. Cargo shorts are a strict no-no. The website does not specify the rules for women (not surprising, considering it's a men-only club and women are allowed to play only as guests). But other clubs such as the Royal County Down, while not specifying what women should wear, give a list of things they should not wear — jeans, short shorts and sleeveless, collarless tops.So go ahead, enjoy the ultimate holiday. As, in the words of sports writer Bob Ryan, golf is a passion, an obsession, a romance, a nice acquaintanceship with trees, sand, and water. Happy putting!(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 21-05-2012)
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Are you a visiting San Francisco and wondering which are the best places to dine there? Just for you, the "second helping" of "Dine About Town San Francisco" returns between June 1 and 15, 2012. The programme, now in its eleventh year, is a hit with both visitors and locals as it provides an opportunity to experience San Francisco's finest restaurants at a fraction of the regular prices.It features an amazing and eclectic range of food offered by more than 100 participating restaurants that constitutes a two-course lunch menu for $17.95 and/or a three-course dinner menu for $34.95. This pricing can represent up to a 25 per cent savings off regularly priced a la carte items. American Express is the preferred method of payment for Dine About Town, and card members will earn $15 back when they dine three or more times during Dine About Town at any of the participating restaurants and pay with their American Express cards. More information can be found on the SF Travel website www.dineabouttown.com.The San Francisco Travel Association is the official tourism marketing organization for the City and County of San Francisco. The complete list of restaurants participating in "Dine About Town San Francisco" will be available after May 15 on San Francisco's official visitor website, www.dineabouttown.com.
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There's a certain irony to the fact that the "world's cheapest tablet" and the most expensive were launched in the same week. Within a day of each other, actually. There is also irony in the sharp contrast in every aspect of the Aakash's commercial successor, UbiSlate 7, and the new iPad. But let's not even go there. The Aakash has been in enough trouble, first with its shoddy build, and then with its sub-contractor. Despite a claimed 30 lakh pre-orders, it hasn't managed to change the lives of students or anyone else yet. Meanwhile, a new Android budget tab is launched almost every week, merging into a crowd of devices already barely distinguishable from one another. One or the other stands out for its value for money or an extra boost to a specification, or even by the mere absence of capacitive touch. A few tablets are even sporting the Ice Cream Sandwich version of Android missing from higher-end tablets. From Rs 3,000 to Rs 15,000, a quickly expanding range of options is unfolding for the Indian consumer. Google sees the opportunity too, and is rumoured to be getting ready to launch a low-cost Nexus tablet this year. ABI Research predicts that by 2016, low-cost tablets will have 60 per cent of the tablet market share. And at the other end of the spectrum, you have the iPad, the latest avatar of which slid elegantly into place in Indian stores on 27 April. At first look, it didn't tell me anything. Yes, it was an iPad. Getting into the apps and looking at photos, videos and text however showed a remarkable sharpness on the screen. The difference was most evident with movies and games, specially when you see water fly up and textured detail. The Retina Display is the one outward and visible difference from the iPad 2. But that difference and the step up is not as dramatic as the improvements to the iPad 2 over the original iPad. I arranged the screens of the two devices to be identical — same wallpaper, same icons — and showed them to a friend. He ended up preferring the iPad 2, but that was because the display was a little warmer yellow than the new one. There are minor variations in display from one unit to the other. Again, getting into visual content meant he was soon able to see the difference. Interestingly, I had assumed the higher resolution of the new iPad would make it a little more difficult for me to read (and many others who have less than perfect incorrectable eyesight) but that turned out, pleasantly, not to be the case. Only in some stubbornly small-text apps and mobile versions of sites was it marginally more difficult. In my short time with the new iPad, I haven't managed to outright heat it up. Hours of movie watching didn't take it beyond mildly warm. The battery too behaved just fine and took me through my day — which ends halfway through to the next. The faster processor is not something easily detectable, as the iPad 2 is pretty fast at what it's designed to do in any case. The new iPad is a touch heavier and thicker, but probably not enough to make a difference to the usage experience overall. I do think though that iPad users need to make sure they give their hands a rest, if their usage of the device is heavy. When it comes to apps, almost everything looks better on the new iPad. The apps that are primarily visual, such as Flipboard or the National Geographic magazine, really come into their own. So do games like Infinity Blade II, Temple Run and Mass Effect. Photo, art, travel and science-learning apps look impressive. Everywhere, the text is sharper, but if an app is well-designed, the Retina Display enhances the experience. The drawing app, Paper, and photo-editing app, iPhoto, feel as if they were created with the Retina Display in mind. Despite the availability of low-cost tablets and the iPad and higher-end tablets like Samsung's, both, in their own way, face challenges. For low-cost tablets, it's the pressure to differentiate in a market becoming rapidly crowded. Being able to offer a compelling experience while keeping production and marketing costs down, is another. For the more expensive tablets including the iPad, the challenge is that people don't quite understand why they need it. Seeing it as a pure indulgence and hesitating because it doesn't quite seem to replace a workhorse laptop or computer, they don't feel the cost is justified. With tablets, their enabling capacity and the needs only begin to be evident when a person begins using the device. That makes it difficult for one person to describe to the other exactly why the purchase is warranted. Everyone's usage is entirely different. mala(at)pobox(dot)com, @malabhargava on Twitter (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 14-05-2012)
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Ahead of the Curve?Research In Motion has chosen India for its global launch of the BlackBerry Curve 9220, a Rs 10,990 phone for the messaging masses. With it, you get Rs 2,500 worth of downloads free from the BlackBerry World app store, including apps on cricket, horoscopes and other typically Indian preoccupations. India is a critical market for RIM as it continues to lose ground in the US and Canada but has had a good run in Asia so far, mostly thanks to young users who forgive whatever else BlackBerry phones don't have because of its much loved BBM. RIM is clearly hoping the 9220 will enjoy the success of Curve 8520, but the smartphone landscape has changed significantly in recent months and there's a great deal you can get for around 10K today. If it weren't for the Messenger, it's not certain how well low-end BlackBerry phones would do. And the 9220 is truly low-end. It's light and plasticy, which is tolerable, but has only a 2 megapixel camera, no 3G connectivity, and overall basic looks — available in various colours. You could even call it a feature-smartphone. The 9220 is comfortable to hold, fitting right into the palm. It has a nice bright screen on which text is very comfortable to read. There's the usual Qwerty keyboard that Blackberry users can't do without. RIM is banking on the fact that not everyone has 3G though and there's something to be said for sheer simplicity. They also believe in the idea that social integration with apps will see it through to another Indian success. To prove that they're listening to Indian users, they've finally put in an FM radio — years after it became standard on phones that cost Rs 2,000, and a button configured to go straight to BBM. Not so low-end at all for a device that size is the battery, which is a 1450 mAh that BlackBerry claims will give 7 hours of talk time and 18 days of standby time. Also, the device works on the latest operating system, BlackBerry 7.1, with 512MB of RAM.First Phone With Intel InsideFlip over the newly launched Xolo smartphone and you'll find a logo you haven't seen on a phone before: Intel Inside. Intel should have been in on the smartphone game long ago. That is where the action is, has been no secret. Specially not over the past year, when smartphones have overtaken PCs in sales. But the industry-defining chipmaker took its time while ARM and others mopped up the market. Finally though, Intel has jumped in with a smartphone in partnership with India-based Lava International. Launched exclusively in India (for now), the Xolo X900 will sell for Rs 22,000 and will be available at Croma. The Xolo gives a great first impression. It's all clean lines and solidity and there's nothing plasticy about the feel. The more important thing, of course, is on the inside, where we got a bit of a surprise. The battery was shabbily tethered to the phone with a thin wire — on three units that we opened up. One snap, and your phone's dead. Overall, the inside didn't match the outside in quality, making us wonder if it was Intel-worthy. Xolo runs on an Intel 1.6GHz Atom processor with a 400 MHz graphics chip. The whole idea is speed and performance. It features full 1080p HD video on its 4-inch bright screen.There's an 8 megapixel camera that does burst photography. Gaming, video, photography and browsing are all supposed to get a big boost because of the processor. This may be the first of Intel's processor-based phones, but more are slated to hit the market with Lenovo, Motorola, Orange and ZTE. Let's hope they are more confidence-inspiring on the inside.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 14-05-2012)
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CLOSETIf you want any more proof of apps taking charge of everyday life, take a look at Closet, which helps you make quicker and better decisions on what to wear, since wear something you must. It takes some homework to set up, but then makes life easier.What you do is take photographs of your apparel and accessories to build up your catalogue. If you have too many clothes, do it in batches. In time you should have all of it done.You add items using the iPhone's camera, or the iPad's if you like, though the app is really for the iPhone. You add the items to categories like tops or footwear — and you can edit and add categories.Once you have lots of items, the rest is self- explanatory. You create full outfits and mark them into the in-built calendar and mark favourites. Put in shoes and bags and jewellery. Now, instead of rummaging around in your cupboard, look on your device — and you're done. Even better would be if your actual closet is neat so you can reach out for what you are going to wear as easily as deciding what to wear.Closet, free for now, is being redesigned. Let's hope the update is even more helpful. VOXERSitting around free in both the App Store and Google Play is an app called Voxer. Not new, not revolutionary. But at the same time, it is surprisingly feature-filled and enjoyable to use. Voxer is a Push To Talk app: it's a walker talkie, a chat client, answering machine, and reminder. Install it and let it connect with your phone book or Facebook contacts. Invite people to get the app or spot those who already have it. Once that's done, select a person and start "voxing" by tapping to initiate contact. Press and hold to leave an audio message. If your contact is around and feels up to answering, you get a reply and notification. If not now, maybe later. If you gather up several friends, you can have a group chat, sending whatever mix of text, photos and audio messages you like. You can also send yourself a message — a reminder, perhaps. If you feel up to a long talk, it's obviously easier to use the phone or any of the other VoIP apps, but Voxer is ideal for just leaving messages without being intrusive, or just making a quick remark. It's the voice equivalent of an SMS. What Voxer has going for it most of all is the speed and ease of use. One or two taps to talk. And the clarity of the audio! You can even have the messages play out aloud on their own. Also an ideal app for moms and wives to remind the men in their lives about all sorts of things. Listening to these will invite your brain to fall into sync with the sound and the frequency On the downside, there have been some hangs reported on Android phones. And the app does drain battery. You also have to make sure you're not talking at the same time as listening to incoming audio or they'll bump into each other.The Android and iOS apps are much the same and are free for now. No ads, either. But how these will make money in future, one doesn't know.BRAINWAVEApps won't leave anything alone — not even your brainwaves. They actually seek to control them. To your advantage, hopefully. In over-simple terms, your brainwaves differ when you're relaxed compared to when you're concentrating on something and alert. The patterns that would be recorded when you are dreaming will be entirely different from those when you've just finished exercising. Now, what if we had sound patterns mimicking these brain activity patterns? The theory is that listening to these will invite your brain to fall into sync with the sound and the frequency. If that happens, you will feel whatever state usually goes with the brainwave pattern — represented by the sound. The process is called brainwave entrainment.It isn't as far-fetched as it sounds. Think of how you feel sleepy when the AC is humming away, or when you're on a train. If the sound were high-pitched and made up of a different wave pattern, you wouldn't be able to sleep. A number of apps have been built on this idea, both for Android and iOS. Developers Banzai Labs have a bunch of brainwave apps for iOS that claim to induce desired mental and physical states. One of the apps, Brainwave, has 30 patterns to induce relaxation, an alert state of concentration and focus, a burst of pre-exercise energy, a state of stimulation like that you would get from drinking a shot of espresso, a state of deep dreaming sleep, and many others. All you need is your device and a good pair of earphones — plugging in one ear won't work — and perhaps a willingness to play along. Each programme has a minimum usage time, and many have different stages to take you through what it would actually be like in that state. Falling asleep and actively dreaming will, for instance have different sets of patterns.Now as to whether these apps work. Users claim they do. Whether they work by suggestibility or in fact by encouraging brain waves to fall in step with sound frequencies, is impossible to study outside of a lab. We asked two mental health specialists, one of whom laughed and said: why can't you just use music? And the other said well, yes, this was done by special machines so why not by an app?We urge you to get a little background on this app before you try it, and stay away from those that claim to help you lose weight by encouraging you to lose your appetite.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 14-05-2012)
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Vikrant Singh just can't do without his daily dose of Angry Birds, the enormously successful gaming app developed by Finland-based Rovio Entertainment. The 29-year-old Delhi-based software professional finds solace in slinging angry birds to smash evil pigs and marmosets on his Samsung Galaxy SII. But he fumes over the "irritating" pop-ups that appear every time he misses a shot. What he doesn't know is that these pop-ups are in-app commercials, critical to whether Singh plays the game for free, or pays for it. And even though a gamer like him may not admit to the advertisements' impact, they seem to have made an impression as Singh is able to recall names such as SBI, HDFC Life, Burberry and ICICI Lombard — with a little persuasion.In a country obsessed with mobile devices, cool new apps on smartphones or tablets are often part of watercooler conversations. This viral growth of apps is creating an ecosystem for a new genre of mobile app advertising. Apps such as Angry Birds — which has registered over 7 million mobile downloads in India across platforms such as Android, iOS and BlackBerry — are creating captive audiences for brands. "The number of mobile users is increasing and new technology is enabling better experience where video promotions are possible due to 3G connectivity," says Shashank Srivastava, chief marketing officer at Maruti Suzuki India, an active spender on the medium. PepsiCo India, another big digital advertiser, believes that a rise in app usage as a result of more mobile phone users makes it imperative for any FMCG brand to get on to this medium. "Given the dynamic characteristics of the mobile medium, in-app advertising could play a crucial role since the delivery mechanism is equally important in delivering a great idea," says Rohit Ohri, executive chairman of Dentsu.India is among the fastest growing mobile advertising markets with over 17 billion mobile advertisements published every month out of the estimated global market of 93.5 billion. "Mobile advertising in India, currently pegged at Rs 150 crore, is expected to grow at least 10 times to Rs 1,500 crore in five years," says C.V.L. Srinivas, chairman of Starcom MediaVest Group, India. Click To View Enlarged Graphic Games can engage users for longer and are thus a favourite among advertisers, followed by social media apps such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, entertainment apps such as YouTube, Gaana.com and Saavn Music and news apps such as The Times of India, Economic Times and NDTV. So while for desktop Internet, the primary driver was information, on a mobile unit it is gaming and casual entertainment. And, of course, advertisers are there where the traffic is. "People will more likely click on a newspaper or content app button than type in the web address," says Kiran Gopinath, founder and CEO of Ozone Media, one of the largest digital advertising networks in India.While mobile gadgets provide wider reach, apps have the potential to carry rich media content to the specifically targeted audience and offer possibilities to measure the impact — something that is critical for the advertiser. "With a remarkable penetration of smartphones, in-app advertising is just about to explode in India," says Rachna Sharma, vice-president and head of digital marketing at advertising agency JWT. "We expect this market to grow at 100 per cent for 2-3 years," says Ozone Media's Gopinath. A Compelling MarketBy one estimate, there are over 80 million users of the Internet on mobile devices. Though this is only a small part of India's 900 million mobile phone subscribers, for advertisers, it is still substantial since one mobile phone represents one user while a desktop may have multiple users. This means an advertiser can better understand the customer.Says Atul Satija, vice-president and managing director, Asia-Pacific, at InMobi, India's largest mobile advertisement network firm: "If a company is launching, say, hair oil, InMobi can tell which telecom circles the advertising campaigns should feature in and also the target audience." Even though in-app advertising that lets consumers experience the brand is still 18-24 months away in India, advertising agencies are getting creative with apps. "Mobile services are going to be so imbued with infrastructure that we will expect it to be tightly integrated with everything we do," says Suresh Reddy, chairman and CEO of global advertising network Ybrant Digital, which puts advertisements on platforms such as Facebook and MSN. "The past 10 years were about voice communication. The next 10 years will see a rapid growth in the way applications and services are built," he adds. break-page-breakIn India, Nokia's Symbian and Google's Android platforms dominate. Even though Nokia lags in the smartphone race, its Symbian platform attracts close to 55 per cent of mobile advertising thanks to pre-installed apps on its WAP-enabled phones. Android attracts over 40 per cent of the advertising but is expected to overtake the Nokia platform this year.The Cash RegisterDevelopers are busy experimenting with various monetisation models, including paid apps (such as OMGPOP, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline, Grand Theft Auto III), freemium apps (where revenue comes from upgrades; for example, Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja and Assassins Creed) and free apps (WhatsApp Messenger, Instagram and Saavn Music). With a paid app, volumes will be lower but the amount earned per download is known. A free app will have higher volumes, and so increased usage. And if this can be translated into more advertisement impressions within the app, a free app may even generate more revenue than a paid app.Publishers can either monetise their apps by selling inventories to advertisement aggregators or by getting dedicated sponsorship from a particular brand and placing it strategically within the app.Established players such as UTV-owned Indiagames — known for its cricket gaming apps — are able to get sponsored activities. "For our Ra.One game (based on sci-fi movie Ra.One), we roped in Parle-G. For the current IPL season, some major brands such as Volkswagen are sponsoring our IPL gaming apps," says Vishal Gondal, CEO of Indiagames.Sponsored advertisements allow interactivity that advertisers hope will lead to engagement and brand building. The advertisement rates depend on the number of downloads, time spent on the game, among other things. So, some people do not want to put advertisements in the middle of a game as it distracts gamers. "We do not put advertisements in the middle of the game. We would rather put it before or at the end . That is how we are getting a high CTR (click-through ratio) of 10 per cent," says Virat Khutal, founder of Twist Mobile, a mobile app start-up that develops gaming and photo-effect apps. It earns $3 for every 1,000 impressions, according to Khutal.The usual revenue split is that for every Rs 100 earned through in-app advertising, Rs 30 goes to the app store, and of the remaining Rs 70, 60 per cent or Rs 42 goes to the publisher and the rest goes to the advertising network.Experts, however, believe that the current mechanism for the developer industry is not stable and needs to evolve. Currently, they use cost per thousand clicks (CPC), cost per thousand impressions (CPM), cost per thousand leads (CPL) generated, and cost per thousand acquisitions (CPA) as a measurement tool, similar to online advertising. "While an advertiser would ideally like to pay using the CPA or CPL method, the advertising network would prefer the CPM model. So they generally settle for the mid-way CPC," explains Anuj Kumar, co-founder and CEO of Singapore-based app developer and advertisement-serving firm Affle, which has a long-term contract to manage advertising on ESPN's mobile initiatives. It is currently running a mobile campaign for Samsung's Windows phone Omnia W.But the format and revenue model depends on the advertiser's objective. An application that is used frequently and for long durations, such as games or social media sites, may use a free model as it can generate a lot of impressions, while apps that are used only a couple of times and then discarded may use the paid model. Similarly, brands like Coca-Cola, Colgate, Hindustan Unilever or Volkswagen may go for the CPM model as their aim is not to generate sales but awareness. Whereas an e-commerce firm may use the CPC or CPL model as it expects the campaign to stimulate visits to its online store.What Makes It ClickDespite a frenzy to download the latest apps on smart devices, making users pay for apps is not an easy task. This kicks in the model of free apps that leverage their success to attract advertisers and thus create income. The fact that users do not think twice before downloading a free app only helps propagate the app.This model helped Indore-based Twist Mobile double its revenues to Rs 1 crore in just the second year of its operations. "We managed to start making money from the very launch of our apps in the Nokia Ovi store," says 31-year-old Khutal, an architect by qualification. Manish Malik, founder and CEO of Delhi-based app-developing firm Hazel Media, says: "There are other means of monetisation, too, including paid apps and paid content subscriptions. But in-app advertising definitely fares the best." Had it not been for in-app advertising, Angry Birds-maker Rovio Entertainment would not have been making $1 million every month from in-app advertisements from Android alone.break-page-breakWhat gives this nascent advertising platform the much-hyped growth potential is the well-established supply side of the market. "The other aspects are all ready — the consumers, the phones, the Internet connections and the content areas," says Madan Sanglikar, CEO of a recently-launched mobile advertising firm, ad2c.A well-organised online advertising market has helped create a readymade playground for app-based advertising. Similar to the online advertisement market, advertising agencies buy inventory on behalf of their clients from advertisement networks who, in turn, buy inventory from advertisement enablers who aggregate it (media space) from the publishers. In effect, advertisement networks and advertisement enablers play the role of intermediaries bridging the gap between the brand advertisers and the publishers. The medium is also supported by analysis providers who collect location and demographic-based information of the users to help advertisers identify relevant apps. Click To View Enlarged Graphic "Earlier, the market was dominated by publishers who directly dealt with advertisers. But over the past 12-18 months, some of the more recognisable mobile advertising network providers are starting to penetrate this stranglehold on the display marketplace and fill sizeable inventory," says Reddy of Ybrant Digital.In Fits And StartsUndoubtedly the medium has potential but the demand is still slow. Advertising agencies are not always able to convince clients to spend on app-based advertising as agencies themselves often do not know how to leverage the medium. This is why a new breed of mobile marketing solutions firms is cropping up to fill the void. These firms specialise in marketing and advertising on the mobile platform and offer end-to-end mobile marketing solutions, knitting together all the participants in the value chain, including advertisement networks, media publishers, advertising agencies and the brands.Advertising agencies, too, are using dedicated mobile marketing firms. China-based mobile marketing solutions firm MadHouse entered India in partnership with global marketing communications firm WPP. "It will always be an advantage for a brand or an agency to work with a solutions firm that offers end-to-end solutions to its clients, so that it reduces their pain in dealing with 4-5 different vendors to execute just one campaign," says Vinod Thadani, COO of MadHouse India.Then Japan-based mobile marketing firm D2C and Singapore-headquartered advertisement network Affle launched ad2c with Dentsu creative agency. "We will handle whatever complexity that mobile comes with… or at least abstract the complexities for brands," Anuj Khanna Sohum, co-founder and chairman of Affle.The mobile medium is still new. "First they (advertising agencies) need to acquire the skills to leverage the medium. The creative side, too, has to know how to create impactful advertisements for the small mobile screen," says Ravinder Pal Singh, vice-president of media at digital media agency Neo@Ogilvy. JWT's Sharma, though convinced that the mobile medium has the advantage of strategic placement, says, "The main question that faces us is ‘who will take the plunge first'. Other questions that surround advertisers are — have there been any successful case studies? Or what is it doing for my brand? Or should we invest in a new medium?"Apart from it being an untested medium, data charges are also a deterrent for mobile in-app advertising. An app could be anything between 2-200 MB of data, and updates can be as heavy. "Data consumption may be increasing but 3G data pricing, for instance, is still prohibitive," says Rahul Pande, CEO of Converse Today, a Mumbai-based app development firm which develops news content apps for major publishers. (3G tariffs are in the range of Rs 800-1,200 for 5GB data, 4G price is about Rs 1,000 for 6GB.) Its mobile marketing arm bonsai.mobi serves advertisements from brands such as Volkswagen, HSBC, Burberry and Ford on the news apps.Increased familiarity with the mobile medium could turn the tide in favour of in-app advertisements. But the biggest hope rests on the anticipated data explosion when 3G and 4G services proliferate, and the increased competition brings down data usage tariffs.With inputs from Dibyajyoti Chatterjeebweditor(at)abp(dot)in
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For weeks everyone has been trying to guess at the unknown quantity that Samsung's Galaxy S III has remained. Samsung did a beautiful job of keeping it under wraps. Just like Apple, not a word. All sorts of rumours and leaked photos did the rounds but nothing came anywhere near the real thing when it was unveiled at a big event in London, where Samsung is also an Olympics sponsor. All anyone could come up with is that it had a quad core processor – Samsung's own – and the latest Ice Cream Sandwich version of Android. They even got the colours wrong.When it came around to unveiling time, the watching world was in for a series of surprises. The phone looked fine enough – a big bright 4.8 inch HD AMOLED screen, a gorgeous white model and a dark blue one, curved edges, and a 8.6mm thin body; just about the thickness of the S II, but with more under the hood. The size of the screen is 22 per cent larger than the S II but this is without making the phone wider as the bezel has been minimized.The primary camera wasn't 12 megapixels, as some had guessed, but 8 and with other special features. Phone makers are beginning to think beyond megapixels a lot these days. The surprise however was not in the looks of the phone or the hardware per se, but in what Samsung has done with the software and capabilities. These have been all developed around two ideas – making the device more human, and being close to nature. The tech anthropologists have truly been at work here.Getting away from the idea of technology for technology's sake, Samsung has gone all out to make the S III natural to use. In this, they've gone as far as anyone has up until now. There are so many features emerging that they're difficult to list. But a few are jaw-droppers for certain. Using the camera and face recognition, they've got the phone sensing just about everything you do. Say you're texting someone and suddenly decide you want to call instead. The moment you lift the phone to your ear, the phone will go ahead and call your contact. When you take pictures of your friends or family, the S III will send them to those people. If you find that frightening, you can change settings of course. The S III also uses eye recognition. So, if you're looking at the phone, it will "know" that you are and the screen won't dim. That's a relief! It also has voice recognition and listens to what you say like a "good friend". When you wake up in the morning, for example, you lift the phone and say "Hi Galaxy" and the phone will light up with information about the day, the weather, etc. Commands to use functionalities are also just built naturally into the usage. You can just ask it to play music, for instance.The camera takes a quick burst of 20 pictures and then choose the best photo for you to use, if you like. The 2 megapixel front facing camera will take a self shot on command. From shot to share is under a minute.The nature element shows up in sounds and visualizations, making the device more likely to be more soothing to use. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the sound of a babbling brook or gentle rain, calms the users mood subconsciously.The intelligence built into the phone could very well do exactly what Samsung wants to – make it a natural extension of the user. Of course, the sheer smartness of the features will mean users will have to be as intelligent, figuring out capabilities and settings and using them to make actual differences rather than just flaunting the latest premium smartphone.The Galaxy S III launches in Europe first – on May 29th – and then heads for ten cities, among which Delhi is said to also be. It's to be available in 16, 32 and 64GB models, but pricing is not known at the time of writing this. It is thought that the price will be in line with Samsung's current equivalent reemium phones. What will happen to the Samsung Galaxy Note, the popular 5.3 inch phone-tablet now that there will be a super-smartphone to compete, remains to be seen.Samsung has sold over 44 million smartphones in the first quarter of this year and plans to double its annual sales in this space over the year. Mala Bhargava is a personal technology writer and media professionalContact her at mala at pobox dot com and @malabhargava on Twitter
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