Not long ago, the premium audio brand from Denmark, Bang and Olufsen, set up shop in India, bringing their whole range into the country. There’s a reason it’s housed at the Emporio Mall in Delhi. This is expensive stuff. Although they have affordable headphones and Bluetooth speakers, it’s at the high-end that they really come into their own with surround sound, televisions, and snazzily shaped speakers that send music straight into your bones. I carried off one of their smaller items, a portable wireless speaker, to give it a try.And the BeoPlay A2 is easy to carry off. It has a lovely leather strap that gives it a huge touch of class. The speaker itself is encased in a hard plastic grill which comes in a few different colours, though it’s the army green that really looks the best. It looks rugged and cool and though it’s more masculine looking than neutral, I’d say few people will hesitate to take it around. The speaker is quite heavy for its size. I would definitely do some serious damage if I were to drop it on my foot. And yet it’s certainly thinner than War And Peace. The weight, however, becomes understandable when you switch it on and the sound flows out.The BeoPlay speaker sounds great. Although we’ve got somewhat used to hearing loud sound from small packages, what you hear on the BeoPlay still comes as a surprise. No distortion, no lack of clarity, just powerful clear sound. It delivers a deep bass but never pounding and unpleasant. The speaker is double-sided so you get a wider spread of sound. They like to call it 360 degree sound. There are two channels on either side of the speaker and an extra tweeter on the rear side of the driver for more high-frequency tones.I found the BeoPlay A2 connected via Bluetooth to devices really quickly and with no fuss at all. There was just nothing to fiddle with: just one button, which along with the volume up/down and the power button is all there is on one edge of the device. In the box, you get a set of different plugs and a big charging adaptor. There’s a USB slot and you can actually charge your phone in the unlikely event that you should need to. The battery of the speaker is a claimed 24 hours, but on Bluetooth and with loud volume, it will certainly not last that long.You need to shell out Rs 22,990 for the BeoPlay A2 and it really isn’t much for the quality of sound this speaker delivers. (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 04-05-2015)
Read More
German audio specialist, Sennheiser on Friday (10 April) launched all new sports range - MX 686 SPORTS, CX 686 SPORTS, PMX 686 SPORTS and OCX 686 SPORTS, the perfect amalgamation of sound, performance and ergonomic design for people passionate about sport. This new sports range is also winner of the prestigious Red Dot Award for Product Design 2015.Commenting on the launch Kapil Gulati, Director, Consumer Segment, Sennheiser, said “Our new SPORTS headphones have been built on Sennheiser’s passion for sound and insight into the impact and challenges of extreme movement on audio, comfort and fit – all of which guided the design and selection of materials. Like all great sporting achievements, its this fusion of technique and passion that delivers the ultimate performance- an energizing sound that helps one reach his own personal best“.The SPORTS range comprises both open and closed acoustic designs to suit different activities. The MX 686 SPORTS and PMX 686 SPORTS feature open acoustics, allowing for a better awareness of external sounds that is ideal for outdoor pursuits such as running. Sennheiser has developed new adapters for the MX 686 SPORTS and a vertical in-ear design for the PMX 686 SPORTS that delivers a punchy bass while remaining acoustically open. Saavn Makes Music Social Saavn, India’s music streaming app, on Friday the launch of Saavn Social, a set of in-app social features aimed at making music streaming a shared experience. With the ability to Tag, Follow, Chat, and Share on Saavn, millions of music listeners around the world can now engage with friends’ listening activity more intuitively and seamlessly than ever before, while using their favorite music to express emotions, memories, and ideas with the tap of a button.“Social music is part of our DNA. Music is a snapshot of our memories, our friends, and our shared experiences, but there has yet to be a cool way to truly express yourself with digital music. Saavn Social has been years in the making, and the experience changes the way we listen to music with the most important people in our lives. You can tag your friends in music in the same way you would tag them in a photo, making it a shared experience that is simply a delight to use. We believe music is the best photograph of our lives and we have brought this to life with Saavn Social,” Rishi Malhotra, Co-Founder and CEO of Saavn, said.InFocus M330 LaunchedUS-based InFocus has announed the launch of its revolutionary smartphone InFocus M330. The limited edition phone will now be available exclusively on Snapdeal.com at a special price of Rs.9,999. M330 has been introduced in India to address the growing demand for a premium mid-segment smartphone that packs in superlative features at a competitive price point. Commenting on the launch, Sachin Thapar, Country Head, InFocus Mobiles said, “We are happy to introduce M330, which will set a new and an elevated benchmark in the Indian smartphone industry with its best-in-class features, superior build quality and bigger visual experience. Driven by our core philosophy of being a customer-first brand; we believe that superior technology should be accessible to all. The phone offers stellar features with a veritable upgrade in technology; all at a competitive price point. We will continue to leverage the value offered by Snapdeal’s widest user reach through the exclusive launch on its platform.” BigRock Introduces New TwistBigRock, one of India’s leading domain registrars and web hosting companies, on Friday announced its nationwide campaign to launch a brand new domain extension – ‘.desi’. As a part of this contest, BigRock has invited entries from participants in the form of creative image submissions that helps decode what being DESI (Indian) implies to them. To be conducted between April 8-15, 2015, the contest will choose one lucky winner for the grand prize of– Hyundai Eon Magna Plus car while the next two winners will stand a chance to win an iPad Mini3 tablet and a Motorola Moto G (2nd Gen) smartphone respectively. In order to register for the contest, interested participants will need to register themselves on www.being.desi. Participants will then be asked to post their entry and share it within their network of friends on popular social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The entries with most number of Facebook likes and shares on Twitter will be shortlisted to win. BigRock has tied up with Miss Malini, who is widely regarded as India’s first and most famous celebrity blogger, to choose the prize winning entry. She will announce the lucky winner on April 17, 2015.Asia/Pacific Becomes The Frontline For IoTInternational Data Corporation (IDC) announced on Friday that the Asia/Pacific Internet of Things (IoT) industry will continue its strong growth, with the number of units, or “things”, connected to increase from 3.1 billion to 8.6 billion by 2020. Over this same period, the total Asia/Pacific excluding Japan (APeJ) market size will increase from USD250 billion to USD583 billion. "The Internet of Things industry has matured considerably over the past year, with a number of large government initiatives across APeJ, and China in particular, driving demand," says Charles Reed Anderson, Associated VP, Head of Mobility and Internet of Things at IDC Asia/Pacific. “This increase in market demand has led to an increased focus on IoT from leading ICT vendors, as well as start-ups – with each keen to grab their share of the growing IoT market.”Wave Infratech Launches Wave Floors PremiumWave City recently launched Wave Floors Premium, premium collection of G+2 Ready-To-Move-In Independent Residential Floors on NH24, the newest suburb of Delhi.On the launch of Wave Floors Premium, Mr. Amar Sinha, Executive Director - Marketing, Wave Infratech said, "Wave Floors Premium offers premium homes which are ready-to-move-in. These homes will be equipped with 3 split AC's and a well-designed modular kitchen. Wave Floors Premium is a freehold property with has smart city enabled features. We welcome you to the First Smart City in Delhi / NCR and own a smart life." Blue Coat Enhances Security Blue Coat Systems, Inc., a leader in enterprise security, today announced the addition of Mail Threat Defense to its portfolio of Advanced Threat Defense (ATD) solutions. With the addition of mail threat defense, Blue Coat provides in-depth protection against the common trifecta of attack vectors – web, email and network –for unparalleled defense against advanced threats across the enterprise.“As email phishing and other malware schemes grow increasingly sophisticated and deceptive, even the most well-meaning, cautious employees can be fooled into clicking on a malicious attachment, leading enterprises to seek additional protection for this critical but sometimes overlooked threat vector,” said Dr. Hugh Thompson, CTO and senior vice president of Blue Coat. Google Releases Sports Fans BehaviourThe world has changed to a large extent since the last Cricket World Cup in 2011. Millions of fans have used the power of internet during the Cricket World Cup 2015 (CWC’15) to pursue their love of the game. Google in its latest post World Cup trend analysis highlights the dramatic shift in the behaviour of sports fans; recoding the shift to ‘constant connectivity’ driven by the rise in smartphone searches as witnessed during World Cup 2015.The report acknowledged that availability of low-cost smartphones and dropping data plan tariffs in one of the world’s fastest growing smartphone markets-India, have also contributed significantly to the surge in number of cricket related searches emerging from smartphones during the World Cup. According to Google search trends, fans were busy searching online for noteworthy moments of the tournament, from the Duckworth-Lewis method to Virat Kohli’s hairstyle among other interesting queries touching all aspects of the game.
Read More
Lava international Limited, one of the leading companies in the mobile handset industry, on Thursday (09 April) announced the launch of its latest offering ‘Icon’. The new device redefines user experience with a magnificent camera and customized Star OS.Sporting a premium metallic look, the Icon is 7.7 mm thick which makes it extremely comfortable to operate. While the classic design makes it durable and less prone to damage, the glass finish on the back panel adds to its aesthetics. Commenting on the launch Navin Chawla, Vice President & Head Product, LAVA International said, “In line with our constant endeavor to offer products with great value to the consumers, we are delighted to announce the launch of our new premium smartphone- Icon. This is a beautifully designed product with a high quality camera featuring SONY EXMOR sensor and other in built features. This marks the beginning a new segment for Lava smartphones wherein we will be coming up with a new range of experience driven devices."Surya Software Makes Use Of Microsoft SQL ServerSurya Software, a provider of banking technology, has enabled customers, including major banks, to improve their risk management capability with BALM (Banking Asset Liability Management Solution) based on Microsoft SQL Server. With this, banks are better placed to handle risks arising from asset-liability mismatches and make more effective decisions while reducing operating costs.D N Prahlad, Surya Software said, “The asset-to-liability gap is a major task banks deal with on a daily basis. With BALM, we aim to respond faster to a dynamic market and regulatory environment. We will soon move the solution to the latest SQL Server 2014 to help take the solution to the cloud, as banks adopt cloud. Besides it helps our customers to deploy a high-performance database and benefit from advanced business intelligence and analytics for optimal risk management. The solution also carries a lower total cost of ownership and maintenance cost.”Backup Exec 15 For Hybrid CloudsSymantec on Thursday announced that Veritas (the planned spinout of Symantec’s Information Management business) is launching the general availability of Backup Exec 15, an updated version of the award-winning backup and recovery solution that delivers capabilities to help customers address their core needs while staying ahead of the changing landscape. “Veritas has made great strides in evolving the Backup Exec platform to meet the needs of our users. In recent years, the hybrid cloud model has created new customer needs for tools that manage information in increasingly complex infrastructures,” said Andy Ng, Technical Sales and Services leader, Asia Pacific and Japan, Veritas.Skype Translator Now Speaks Italian And MandarinAt Skype, we want to make it easier for you to connect with people around the world, no matter where you are and what language you speak. In December, we announced the first phase of the Skype Translator preview program and today we’re excited to announce Skype Translator’s next milestone, the addition of two spoken languages: Italian and Chinese (Mandarin), to the current offering of Spanish and English.Citrus Cash: What Goes Around Comes AroundThe current version of the Ciprus Cash is a wallet app that allows users to ‘Send Money’ to friends and family, ‘Request Money’ when they need it and Split Bills with friends after fun outings. This new version we’re talking about though, does a whole lot more. Not only does it come with a newer more intuitive user interface but, it is also faster and smoother. That isn’t the best part though; the most interesting addition is the App’s social giving feature. This makes Citrus Cash the 1st digital wallet in the world, to integrate a social giving feature along with payment solutions. "The new ‘Lend A Hand’ feature on Citrus Cash will let users touch people’s lives in a manner that is easier than ever before. It will make lending to deserving individuals in rural India part of everyday life. This is part of our vision at Citrus, going well beyond everyday financial transactions and enabling your money to make your life and the lives of others around you, better.” says Satyen Kothari, Founder & MD, Citrus Pay.FabFurnish Facilitates Buyers With Instant Loan Payment OptionFabFurnish, India’s largest online home store recently rolled out the Instant Loan Payment option, to facilitate hassle-free and pocket-friendly buying of furniture from its online platform. Customers can now get personal loan approval within 2 hours on a minimum purchase of furniture worth Rs.10,000. The duration of EMI for the loan is 6 months.Vikram Chopra, Co-Founder, FabFurnish said, “The new facility on our website has become a hit among our customers. We have already received loan requests for 10 per cent of the orders, out of which 95 per cent were processed within 2 to 4 hours. Before launching the new feature on our online platform, we conducted various pilots for over 6 months. This gave us the confidence and assurance to finally roll out the Instant Loan Payment service. Through this, we wish to change the whole outlook towards online shopping in the country.”lava, navin chawla, microsoft, fabfurnish, skype, technology, corporate, symanteclava, navin chawla, microsoft, fabfurnish, skype, technology, corporate, symantec
Read More
Internet access is becoming easier and much more affordable as it has become a basic necessity and apart from cellular network based data and fixed broadband line, one can access the internet through dongles and similar devices. One such device is Tata Docomo’s Photon Max Wi-Fi Duo (made by LAVA) which lets you create a personal Wi-Fi hotspot. If you are constantly on the move and need a solid Wi-Fi connection at all times, then this portable Wi-Fi hotspot is the perfect companion. It is hassle free as it only requires an initial setup and you don’t need to tinker around with the settings, just connect and you are good to go. The most interesting part is that it doesn’t require an external power source all the time as it comes with a built in battery and lets you charge other devices, say a smartphone. To make things even more interesting, there is microSD card slot, tripling it a storage device. The device has a simple squarish design and looks like a small portable charger. It can easily fit in the pocket although it does have a little bulk to it. You get a full-sized USB port, a microUSB port, a power button, a battery charging button, a bunch of LED lights (to indicate battery life, network, etc.) and a microSD card slot. The device itself costs at Rs 2899 and it comes with postpaid plans with basic plans starting at Rs 300 for 1GB, Rs 450 for 2GB and Rs 650 for 3GB. There are unlimited plans as well with speed throttling after you reach the limit. The 5GB plan costs Rs 750, 10GB comes for Rs 999, 15GB plan for Rs 1,249 and a 25GB plan for Rs 1,499. The connectivity is fairly good as most of the times it provided a decent speed varying from 2Mbps to 3Mbps with download speeds going up to 200-300Kbps. In terms of battery life it claims to have 7-8 hours of backup but in the real world it turned out be about 6 hours. Thanks to its 4,400mAh battery you can charge your smartphone as well and it did manage to fully charge one smartphone after which it depleted all of its charge. So if you are looking for a single solution to charge your phone and stay connected, the Photon Max Wi-Fi Duo is a reliable device.
Read More
HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, has announced the HTC Desire 626G+ dual sim, with its sleek, bold, vibrant colours and impressive features, placing great value in the hands of the consumers. It comes with a sharp 12.7 cm HD screen, a 13MP camera combined with HTC’s Sense user interface for a rich and enticing viewing experience.“We are excited to share with our customers about the HTC Desire 626G+ dual sim, a truly capable high speed mobile experience for all”, said Faisal Siddiqui, President, South Asia, HTC.The HTC Desire 626G+ dual sim comes with a sharp 12.7 cm screen with stunning clarity allowing you to see more and do more. Paired with an impressive 13MP rear camera and 5MP front facing camera to take the best moments in life. With built-in self-timer and unique HTC software to create those fun and crazy snapshots to share with your family and friends. It also supports Full HD (1080 p) video recording for both the rear and front cameras – perfect for those special occasions.Microsoft Launhces New Lumia SmartphonesMicrosoft has rolled out two new smartphones, Microsoft Lumia 640 XLDual SIM and Microsoft Lumia 640Dual SIM in India, givingconsumers greater flexibility and freedom to choose when and where they get things done.Both devices offer the seamless integration of Lumia essentials with a choice of screen sizes and camera capabilities and Microsoft services, to offer incredible productivity, keeping you prepared for anything — for work, at home and on the go. Speaking at the launch, Raghuvesh Sarup, Director, Marketing, Microsoft Mobile Devices said, “Consumers today are constantly looking for a device to bring them more flexibility to switch easily between work and play. The Lumia 640 XL and Lumia 640are the perfect devices that are enablers of productivity, busting the 9 to 5 myth by letting you achieve more, on your own terms. Packed with Microsoft services and experiences along with the exclusive Office 365 personal subscription offer, the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL are well positionedto help us get back some of our scarcest commodity, time!”AMD Powers SamsungAMD on Wednesday (08 April) announced that the AMD Embedded R-Series accelerated processing unit (APU), previously codenamed “Bald Eagle,” is powering the latest set-back-box (SBB) digital media players from Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd. With high performance, low power, and broad connectivity, the new Samsung SBB-B64DV4 is an ideal fit for demanding signage applications that transform Samsung SMART Signage Displays into inclusive digital tools for a wide range of business needs.“Digital signage is a key vertical for the AMD Embedded business,” said Scott Aylor, corporate vice president and general manager, AMD Embedded Solutions. “The AMD Embedded R-Series APU enables leading digital signage providers to harness high levels of compute and graphics performance within a low-power design envelope. AMD Embedded Solutions help designers at Samsung achieve aggressive form factor goals and drive down system costs while providing the rich multimedia their digital signage customers’ demand.”OnePlus Announces No Price HikeOnePlus, a global technology startup, today announced ‘no price hikes’ for the OnePlus One in India. In spite of a steep increase in the customs duty on imported mobile devices at the Union Budget 2015, the One will continue to be available for users in India at Rs 21,999 for the 64GB model and Rs 18,999 for the 16GB model.Commenting on this development, Vikas Agarwal, General Manager - India, OnePlus, said: “In line with our #NeverSettle philosophy and long term commitment to the Indian market, we assure our users that we are constantly evaluating what works best for them; part of that is to continue to make the One available at an attractive price point.”Spice Mobiles Sponsors Rajasthan RoyalsSpice Mobiles, India’s leading mobile handset company, today announced its associate sponsorship for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) team in the Indian Premier League's eighth season which starts from 8th of April, 2015. As a part of the sponsorship agreement, the logo of Spice Mobiles will occupy the leading side position on Rajasthan Royal’s playing trousers. Announcing the tie-up, Prashant Bindal, CEO, Spice Mobility Ltd, said “I am delighted to announce our partnership with Rajasthan Royals for the eight season of the IPL. The team is a strong contender in the tournament and Spice Mobiles is a strong player in the Rajasthan market. Through this partnership we aim to bring together our youthful brands and look forward to engaging with our customers around the most popular cricket tournament in the country. We wish the team good luck and a great season in the tournament ahead.”Windows Server 2003 Support To EndMicrosoft will end support for Windows Server 2003 operating system on July 14, 2015. At the 100-day mark for end of support, CIOs have an opportunity to modernize their business with Windows Server 2012 R2 and Microsoft Azure for improved productivity and operational efficiency. As businesses deal with the demands of the mobile workplace – multiple devices, increasing number of new applications, increasing need for collaboration and more, IT leaders need to prioritize investing in a cloud –optimized infrastructure over keeping the lights on with old technology. Consolidation, flat IT budgets, and increasing demand for data are further driving the move. Tyler Bryson, General Manager, Marketing and Operations, Microsoft said, “With only 100 days remaining for the end of support for Windows Server 2003, it’s time for businesses to accelerate their migration plans. In the mobile-first, cloud-first world, running enterprises on unsupported platforms will not only have cost and security implications, but will also cause enterprises to fall behind on the innovation curve. We urge all businesses to transition to Windows Server 2012 R2 or Microsoft Azure to reduce risks, embrace the latest in platform technology and modernize their infrastructure. Along with our partners, we are committed to help customers to move to modern Microsoft platforms.”Mitashi Partners With Rajasthan RoyalsIndia's leading premium homegrown value brand - Mitashi has partnered with the Rajasthan Royals for the eighth season of the Indian Premier League to be held in the summer of 2015. This is the 5th consecutive year that Mitashi has associated with the Rajasthan Royals. The logo of Mitashi will feature prominently on the arm of the Rajasthan Royals player jersey.Commenting on the occasion, Rakesh Dugar, Chairman & Managing Director – Mitashi said, “Our association with the Rajasthan Royals over the years has been very fruitful for us. Mitashi has grown to be one of the leading premium value brands in India and we thank the Rajasthan Royals team for making the brand visible to millions of viewers in the country. We look forward to a great association this year too.”Epicor ERP 10 Achieves TEC Certified StatusEpicor Software Corporation, a global leader in business software solutions for manufacturing, distribution, retail and services organizations, today announced that Epicor ERP version 10 has achieved certification by Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC). This latest release of the next-generation Epicor ERP solution has been certified in the discrete manufacturing ERP, mixed-mode manufacturing ERP, engineer-to-order manufacturing ERP, SMB manufacturing ERP, and ERP for distribution industries, as well as financial packages, and accounting and small business software spaces.“Epicor has been helping midmarket manufacturers address business challenges and seize new opportunities for more than 40 years with tens of thousands of plants. We focus on offering end-to-end, industry-specific solutions, and because we know that no two manufacturers are the same, we seek to understand how our customers manufacture within each of their particular industries to meet their unique requirements,” says Dick Schultz, director, product marketing, Epicor. “Achieving TEC Certification validates the rich out-of-the-boxfeature sets in Epicor ERP that have been designed specifically to support our customers’ various manufacturing processes."Baby And Maternity Expo India UBM India has announced the 3rd edition of Child, Baby and Maternity Expo India (CBME India), the only event of its kind in India, showcasing global suppliers and manufacturers of child, baby and maternity products and services under one roof. CBME India 2015 is slated to be held at the Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre in Mumbai from 9th to 11th April, 2015."Driven by demand, the child, baby and maternity products industry is growing at a rapid pace in India and globally. CBME India aims to fuel the growing awareness of baby and child care whilst providing a trade platform for the participating exhibitors. The kind of industry response, we at UBM India have received towards CBME India 2015, further validates the potential of this industry." said Yogesh Mudras, Acting Managing Director, UBM India.
Read More
Technology has revolutionised people's way of thinking, decision making and even life style. Today, one of the most significant part of everyone's life is Social Networking. Facts state that Facebook alone has over 1.5 billion users out of roughly total 7.2 billion population of Earth. Platform such as Twitter are now impacting on results of elections. Hash-tags now decide the result of elections, not campaigns any more. Over the last couple of years, Social media has become a buzz word in Internet Marketing. The success of the new generation of social media platforms, mainly Facebook and Twitter, changed the way we socialize, interact and shop. It has also brought new channels to digital marketing, which has gone beyond the Internet and reaching people in the off-line world using digital means.It has become future of marketing and is gradually gaining more ground in the on-line and offline World. Social media is integrating into corporate culture and driving collaboration between silos (marketing, sales, and customer service). Client/agency relationships are evolving and much emphasis is on driving business value. Social media is now channelling relationship management, driving awareness and engagement, and has become a sales and customer service tool. New platforms are being launched and becoming relevant. Small businesses need to be quicker now, to experiment and embrace new platforms to make an impact. PR practitioners now seeking more creative ways to reach journalists and reporters seeking sources for stories “on the fly.” PR pros must work social media into their strategy for media outreach and also for pushing out content. In turn, content creation also continues to become a bigger part of PR, due to social media.I think everyone now admits that social media has to be an essential part of their marketing strategy and real focus for ROI. People are now looking for more personalized news, offerings based on their social profiles and activities and this is one area, which I think will expand, given the kind of technological advances we are seeing. However, I think the real X-factor of growth is in the visual social media platforms. We have seen the explosion of Instagram and Pinterest from selfie pictures and we are seeing the same explosion with short burst videos. Content may still be the king, but visual is now the queen – for brands creating or enhancing a social media presence, there is need of more visuals than ever before to go alongside written content and more unique and aesthetically capturing reader’s focus. After all, the second most popular search engine after Google isn’t Bing or Yahoo – it’s YouTube. For small businesses, online video is an effective marketing tool because it doesn’t break the bank – videos can be shot on the cheap and promoted on YouTube for peanuts compared to other traditional or digital media channels.Inclusion of images in social media posts is becoming essential. With stats showing that tweets including a visual have increased engagement plus Facebook’s feature to allow use of images as comments replying to posts coupled with 3 rising visual social media platforms – Instagram’s success, Snapchat’s valuation and Pinterest’s popularity – all signs underlying the importance of visuals. In 2013 and 2014, Social media has literally overshadowed social networking platforms.Gone are those days when uploading photos could get the real attention. Now, it is the fight between photos and videos, and as the study of facts tells, videos are always preferred over photos. Including videos is becoming a necessity in digital marketing. Facebook’s recent move of “call-to-action” feature is being used by professional as well as armature social media marketers to redirect Facebook users to their like their websites, YouTube channel and much more. The feature allows the marketers to put a “call-to-action” button at the end of the video which can contain link to any platform or action. This feature has been used massively and had a great impact over the digital marketing in past years.Now people can use Vine which enables its user to display their videos on twitter, even to those who might not have a Vine profile. Such features are changing the methods of digital marketing and empowering social media beyond measures. Government agencies which had a reputation for being “behind the times” when it comes to technology are now embracing and using social media and digital communications to enhance customer service. These days, citizens can communicate with government contact centres through a variety of channels including, mobile, web and social media. For example, citizens can tweet FEMA about power issues during a natural disaster, or the CDC during disease outbreaks, or WhatsApp about railway enquiry. Social media is shaping government customer service and agencies are utilizing technology to connect with different generations on many different platforms. As a result of all this, the touch of technology in social media and marketing has revolutionized the world, and people now have an entirely different outlook about things. The cyber world has come closer to the real world than ever, and soon there will be no distance between the two. Most fascinating fact is that, social media is harbinger of new world, and the future depends upon it.The author is CEO and Co-founder, Frankly.me
Read More
In the midst of big smartphone brands stands an independent company that created quite a stir and is still a hot favorite among the geeks. The OnePlus One might not be a ‘flagship killer’ anymore, but it has managed to be one of the best smartphones to buy today as it offers a great package for the money you pay. One of the biggest reasons for the success of the OnePlus One has been their selling strategy. The company adopted an invite system to sell the product. To get a OnePlus One, the company announced that one would have to register for the device, get an invite and then have the opportunity to buy the smartphone. This created a sense of exclusivity which actually worked well for the company. This process of registering and buying a smartphone better known as ‘flash sales’ has grown vastly in India and it was a very obvious choice for OnePlus when it planned to enter India even though it was late for the party. While the company has managed to target its audience, customers are having a hard time getting the device either due to lack of an invite or limited stocks. It runs on last year’s hardware but it is still an easy recommendation in the sub-25k range. Why? Well firstly it is a solid device and totally justifies its price tag. It isn't what you would call premium, but it offers a lot in terms of hardware and software. It runs on a Snapdragon 801 quad-core chip with 3GB of RAM which even today is enough to provide ample power for daily tasks as well as high-end gaming or binge watching your favorite TV series. Other points of attraction in the hardware department are the 64GB of storage space and the rear 13MP camera which has the capability to shoot in RAW. The biggest USP, however, is that it is targeted to Android power users which OnePlus has achieved by providing CyanogenMod based Android OS and the ability to root the smartphone without hampering the warranty. Cyanogenmod is basically a tuned version of stock Android OS which gives you options for deeper customisation and more control over the device which is usually achieved by rooting your device. The custom OS is developed by the Cyanogen community which started off as a very small unit and has now become a global community of developers and testers. Their contribution has made the OnePlus One a hot gadget for the geeks. So how does the company manage to keep the price of the smartphone at just Rs 21,999 for the 64GB variant when devices with similar specifications end up at Rs 30,000? Well, like the Chinese giant Xiaomi, OnePlus has a similar philosophy. Peter Lau, CEO of OnePlus, had mentioned at the time of the launch that "We are selling the phone at cost.The company is focusing on online marketing and community interaction rather than working with retail partners, they rely on selling the device online.” It seems that having a zero or a low marketing cost has worked well, and other smartphone makers have started employing the same strategy. With a good chunk of profit under its belt, the company is rumored to be working on an update to the smartphone which will be revealed this year.
Read More
Lenovo, after creating a lot of buzz during MWC 2015 earlier launched the much-anticipated A7000 in India exclusively with Flipkart, India’s largest e-commerce marketplace platform. The 4G/LTE smartphone sports a 64-Bit 1.5GHz Octa-Core processor and 2GB DDR3 RAM for smooth gaming, a great multimedia experience and lag-free multitasking. Featuring a brilliant 13.97(5.5) cms HD display with ultra-wide viewing angles, the A7000 ensures clarity and accurate color reproduction. The A7000 is also the world’s first smartphone featuring all-new Dolby Atmos technology providing moving audio technology for an unparalleled acoustic experience.In addition to its impressive audio and visual technologies, this multimedia smartphone provides an enhanced user experience with a powerful battery life required for all-day connectivity. The A7000 is powered by a 2900mAh battery along with enhanced battery optimization features that provides enough power to the powerful 64-bit octa core processor. While having a large battery, the A7000 is surprisingly thin at 7.9 mm and light at 140grams making it highly portable.“At Lenovo we are committed to providing cutting edge technology to our consumers,” said, Sudhin Mathur, Director, Smartphones, Lenovo India. “The A7000 brings in flagship worthy features and performance at an incredible price making it a perfect choice for consumers looking for a trendy and powerful phone loaded with future-proof features.” he added.Intex Presents Aqua Speed HDIntex Technologies, one of the leading smartphone brand with market share of 10 per cent, on Tuesday (07 April) unveiled its new addition to the swift Intex Aqua Speed category with the Intex Aqua Speed HD smart phone. It is the right combination of the perfect smartphone for the fast and the advanced smartphone user. The all new Aqua Speed HD comes with the Android Kitkat 4.4.2 OS with a 1.3 GHz quad core processor that will be supported by a 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal memory. The stunning looks with the sleek and stylish designing of the Aqua speed HD invites many takers among the youth. Commenting on the launch, Sanjay Kumar Kalirona, Business Head, Mobiles, Intex Technologies said, “The Aqua Speed HD is another effort of ours towards, inventing and improvising our offerings. We believe in providing our customers with products that satisfy their needs and are easy on their pocket. This new product comes across as a package of smart designing, tactical pricing and youthful colors all packaged for our target consumer.” Emerson Automates Power Generating UnitEmerson Process Management, a global business of Emerson, has completed automating a new 800-megawatt, supercritical thermal power-generating unit owned by APPDCL, a special purpose entity of APGENCO, the Andhra Pradesh state government power generation utility. This is the first state-owned supercritical power station being built in India. Located in Krishnapatnam, the Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station is a $2 billion investment by APGENCO that will provide new, low-emissions generation capacity to support the region’s rapid economic growth.A.S. Bhattacharya, Project Director, TATA Projects Limited, commented, “As prime EPC contractor it was a challenging task to work with many stakeholders. Strong support from key partners like Emerson Process Management played an important role in the successful completion of this highly complex project.”IIM Calcutta Announces Launch Of EPYM Programme Hughes Global Education India Ltd (HGEIL) today announced the launch of admission to the Executive Programme for Young Managers (EPYM) by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta. Delivered over the Hughes Interactive Onsite Learning platform by the eminent faculty of IIM Calcutta, this programme offers working executives an integrated overview of core business functions, key concepts, tools, and techniques, and enhances skills required to do well in respective functional areas. EPYM is designed to enhance the participant’s ability to face current and future challenges of management and business administration. Partho Banerjee, President and Managing Director of Hughes Communications India Ltd (HCIL), parent company of HGEIL, said, “We are glad to see our partner institutions have leveraged the pan-India expanse of the Hughes Interactive Onsite Learning platform to reach out to their candidates across the country to help them improve, enhance and hone their skill-set.”Ricoh India introduces Digital Imaging SystemRicoh India Ltd. a market leader in Printing & Document solutions and IT services, today unveiled the MP C2011SP Color Digital Imaging Systems for printing industry. Keeping in mind the needs of Small and mid-sized market, Ricoh has launched MP C2011SP which offers fast speed, greater paper capacity and worry-free security. Further, it allows customers to expand their digital imaging resources and capabilities without expending their budget.Speaking on the occasion, Manoj Kumar, Executive Vice President and CEO, Ricoh India Limited., said, “We are pleased to launch MP C2011SP in multifunctional printer market to make lives easier for customers by providing more tasks in less time. With the aim to offer best in class performance product, Ricoh has brought this compact device that offers advanced features for multifunctional operations. Ricoh has always been in the forefront to provide innovative products to its customers and also promises to continue the momentum of delivering quality products in the future.”Explore Vibrant South And Central South AmericaThis summer plan a vacation to the beautiful destinations of Central and South America and discover a world replete with natural beauty, historical wonders and vibrant culture with Air France and KLM. Air France-KLM, a member of the Sky Team alliance is offering to all its customers in India a special discount of upto 50 % in Economy class to destinations in South and Central America. This offer is valid for tickets issued in India and travel outbound from India until July 31, 2015. To avail this offer, customers can choose to book online at www.airfrance.in and www.klm.com, call Air France – KLM Sales & Service Centre at 1800 1800 044 / 1800 1800 033 or contact travel agent. Air France – KLM is a leader in the Caribbean, South and Central America region and currently operates to 26 destinations offering 160 weekly flights from its hubs in Paris and Amsterdam.
Read More
