January 14, 2009 by hilzfuld on iPhone, Marketing, Mobile, Tech

Samsung/McCann Digital Use Web 2.0 To Market Omnia

A lot going on in the cellular world lately. Somehow though, even with the iPhone, the G1, and the new Pre, the Samsung Omnia is able to stand its ground. Yes, a lot of these new phone have more bells and whistles, but the Omnia’s feature set still keeps it at the top of the bunch. Just to give you a quick run down, the Omnia boasts a huge 3.2 inch screen (bigger than the Pre), a 5mp camera (better than the iPhone and the Pre COMBINED) with a built in flash (hear that Apple?), insanely fast HSDPA, WiFi, a blazing fast 624 mhz processor (I do not believe anything faster exists), has 8 or 16GB built in memory AND an expansion slot, stereo bluetooth (I am still talking to you Apple), plays DIVX movies, pocket Office, built in GPS, a high quality video camera, and all that in a ridiculously tiny 12.5 mm package (that is 4 mm thinner than the Pre).

I had the chance to play with the Omnia a little and the thing is just beautiful looking, and feels great in your hand. There really is not much missing in terms of the specs. The screen is resistive, not like the iPhone’s but somehow anyone that has reviewed it, cant stop talking about its responsiveness. It runs Windows Mobile 6.1, which is said to be a huge improvement over the older WM5. All in all, we got a winner of a device here.

OK, but there is another reason why I love this phone so much. It is the first phone that Samsung is marketing by using the tool that we have all grown to love so much, social network marketing. Samsung has joined forces with McCann (click on the McCann link to see a really cool ad campaign for Web advertising) digital to market the amazing Omnia using various blogs. One of these blogs is actually one of my favorites; Blonde 2.0. Ayelet writes a lot about the Web 2.0 world and she has acquired for herself quite the reputation amongst the social networking enthusiasts like myself.

Samsung and McCann have cooperated in the past as well, marketing a Samsung SC HMX10 high-def camcorder, but this is the first time they are using this tool with a mobile device, and I am loving it. As a blogger, a social networking addict (click that link to follow me on Twitter), and a mobile lover, I say great initiative from McCann and Samsung. I only hope the campaign is successful and they decide to continue with this concept.

-Hillel

January 12, 2009 by hilzfuld on iPhone, Mobile, Software, Tech

HTC to Announce a Pre-Killer

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Engadget Mobile just reported that an employee of Australia’s Telstra let us all know that HTC will soon be releasing a device that will be better than the Pre. Now, the big news is not that HTC is announcing a new device, or that it will be a good one. The amazing thing about this report is that manufacturers like HTC are now looking to create Pre-killers.

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No more of yesterday’s iPhone killers. The iPhone is somewhat already part of the past, and the company responsible for this is no other than Palm. I don’t think anyone would have believed this scenario to be possible even a month ago. The truth is though, that Palm deserves the credit and a lot of it for their new Pre. It really is an amazing device that includes all the characteristics necessary to make what can be considered the best handset on the planet.

Like I said in the fourth episode of Likemob (the best podcast on mobile news), it is not the hardware that is getting everyone excited. Although, the hardware is definitely worth mentioning. They did manage to get a full QWERTY (even though it is a portrait one) into a 17 mm package along with a beautiful 3.1 inch multitouch touch screen display. But the OS is what makes this phone number one.

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Palm really went all out with Web OS. I guess the two factors that make this OS a huge winner are the “card” interface and Synergy. The card interface allows the user to easily switch between tasks, such as viewing pictures, listening to music, and writing an email. All you do is press the Home button and the device zooms out for you to see all the tasks that are currently open. The coolest part, I think, is the ability to simply swipe one of the open tasks right off the display and by that, close the application. So unlike Symbian for example, in which closing a running app is a whole huge deal, this is completely seamless and could not be easier.

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The other big thing that Palm introduced us to with the Pre, is Synergy. It is as it sounds. It basically combines all the different social circles of your life into one easy and basic interface. This includes a layered contact list with contact information from your Outlook, Web email account, Facebook account, and any other place the specific contact has info stored. This also includes a joined calendar and a combined email interface. It just makes things simpler.

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What remains to be seen with the Pre is of course how well it will works in reality. Another huge question mark is the usability of the Palm App Catalogue. What will the installation process be like? Will it be similar to the Apple App Store or perhaps something closer to the hellish Symbian experience? We also do not know the pricing yet, although there is a rumor circulating that it will go for $399 with a contract.

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Whatever the case may be, Palm has already succeeded in doing what no company has done in a long time. They have managed to finally give Apple something to worry about. There has been talk about various iPhone killers, but correct me if I am wrong, I have never seen anyone use the term “HD Killer” or “Omnia Killer” before. The mobile world has now moved on from the iPhone due to Palm, and the new goal of the cellular giants should be to create what is now called a Pre-Killer. Sounds better than iPhone killer anyway, doesn’t it?

-Hillel

January 9, 2009 by hilzfuld on iPhone, Mobile, Tech

Palm Is So Back With Its New Palm Pre

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Today we wake up to a new world, a world in which Palm is a brand people are actually talking about, I feel like I am in 11th grade all over again. Anyway, Palm announced their new Mobile OS called Web OS, and their new flagship device, the Palm Pre. As for the naming, I would not have chosen those names, but I guess they are not as bad as some other names we have seen in this industry lately.

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We do not know all that much about Web OS, so I will wait for more details before expressing my opinion on that matter. As for the Pre, I have an opinion, and it is a strong one. Palm might be the first company that I know of that went from being a total nobody to becoming a major player and threat to the biggest names in the industry, and this change took place over night. This new device is not only going to compete with phones like the iPhone and the G1, as far as I can tell, it has them beat, by a long shot.

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Let me just run down the specs here for you. The Palm Pre has a 3.1 inch touch screen with multitouch, accelerometer for landscape browsing, Wifi, GPS, 3mp camera with LED flash, 8GB memory, a2dp, replaceable battery, Micro SD expansion slot, USB 2.0, portrait slide out keyboard, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a blazing fast processor and CPU. For an exact list of all the specs, see here.

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The form factor is impressive and innovative (kinda looks like a mixture between a PEBL and an HTC Touch, do you see that?). The OS from what we have seen seems to be unprecedented in its speed, beauty, and functionality. It really combines the simplicity of the iPhone with the intelligence of the G1.

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Just to give one example, the swiping gestures to move between web pages and open apps remind me of the iPhone, but the ability to receive notifications about new email or IMs resemble the G1.

pre_02 Palm, from what they have told us, are trying to deeply integrate our social networking lives into this phone. I am talking threaded conversations over SMS and all the IM networks. I am talking close collaboration with Facebook and other social networks, bringing, for example, your phone, Google, Outlook, and Facebook calendar and contacts all into one view.

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I could really go on for a long time here, so I will just stop here and say that this phone and OS will no doubt bring Palm back to being an industry leader, and I do not think it will take long.

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To finish off with a quote from Peter Ha “This is an iPhone, Android, Palm race now, Symbian and WinMo are done”. Sorry Itamar, but I could not agree more.
-Hillel

January 8, 2009 by hilzfuld on Marketing

Would You Eat Here?

Depending who you ask (my wife or me), this is either some genius marketing (that would be me), or some seriously demented black humor that assists in creating a restaurant in which no normal person should consume anything (do I really need to elaborate on who took that stance?)

Eating there might kill you (in reality, it is no worse than Burger King or any of its siblings), but you can watch this highly entertaining video at no risk at all. Putting the issue of cholesterol and heart attacks aside, you gotta admit that the food looks really good.

-Hillel

Watch CBS Videos Online

January 8, 2009 by hilzfuld on Software

Who Needs Firefox/Safari When You Have Digsby?

As we wait for any big news from CES, and grieve about the almost total lack of any news at all from Macworld, I thought I would tell you about a desktop application that is up there with the best I have ever used. It it not new, but its latest updates make it a real show-stopper. I am talking about the IM, Social Networking, and email aggregator for PC, Mac, or Linux; Digsby.

I have been using Digsby for months now and I have to say, it is almost flawless. Now, for me to say that about a program is a big deal, I am the kind of user that gets annoyed by the most trivial and ridiculous little quirks that 99% of people would never notice. Anyway, Digsby gives you a very clean and nice looking interface that includes the following services (sit down, it’s a long list):

AIM: Oldie but goody
MSN Messenger: Still a very good program even with the endless spam
GTalk: Keeps getting better
Yahoo Messenger: It serves its purpose, not great, but they get an A for effort
ICQ: Never used it, but props for being the first of the gang
Jabber: Never used it
Facebook chat: Buggy but very useful

Those are the IM networks only, here is what else you have access to without even opening up your Web browser:

Hotmail: Designed by Microsoft, but there are still people using it
Gmail: Best email, period
Yahoo Mail: Always getting better
AOL/AIM Mail: No comment
IMAP: Huge fan
POP: Good to have

Now, for the big news, the latest Digsby update added the following social networking sites:

Facebook: Will take some time till someone takes its place
Twitter: Love it, love it, love it
MySpace: Never used it, but very popular
LinkedIn: The interface could be better, but very useful, I am told

OK, enough lists. Bottom line is, Digsby pretty much offers you every possible tool used to communicate on the Web (I guess Skype is missing, but then again, with so many VOIP options in the above lists, why use Skype?).

In addition to all the available services, the actual experience is absolutely perfect. Tabbed conversations, awesome skins, nicknames, reply from within popup notifications, Facebook and Twitter updates that do not disturb your work, and more and more. I can go on and on with Digsby’s amazing features, but I am sure you get the point.

Just to summarize, ever since I installed the latest update, I have not opened up a browser more than twice, and that was to check the news. So, why is it not the perfect program? Well, if I have to name something, it does not include CNN updates, yet!

-Hillel

January 5, 2009 by hilzfuld on Marketing, Mobile, Software

CES is Coming up And We Are There

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If you are reading this blog, chances are you know that CES is approaching. You also probably know that MacWorld is upon us, and that Steve Jobs does not have any sort of cancer, just a small curable hormonal imbalance.

Well, I am not a doctor and do not understand Jobs’ condition, and I have no friends at MacWorld, so I will be focusing on CES. I have an old friend that contacted me a few weeks back with a very interesting proposition. He said he is going to CES as a press analyst and he would be glad to represent Tech N Marketing by bringing us the latest and greatest from the show. Zvi is a blogger himself and works in the industry, so I am sure he will have only interesting news for us.

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He will be sending us pictures, videos, and info from the show as soon as new products are announced. So, we will finally know more about Nova and other rumors that have been circulating. I told him to focus on Palm, Microsoft, and any other mobile news, along with anything else he deems interesting and blog worthy. If you have specific requests, please leave em in the comments, and I will ask him to focus on them as well.

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Anyway, just to tell you a little bit about Zvi, read the following summary.

” I was born in Baltimore and grew up in Israel from 1986. In 1999, I returned to Baltimore and went to Towson University and graduated with a BS in business and finance. I was the credit manager for TESSCO technologies. TESSCO supplies wireless communications, as well as networking products and solutions to business professionals. For the past three and a half years I have been the senior underwriter for Atradius trade credit insurance. My analysis focuses on the consumer electronics, telecommunications, and semiconductor industries.

I work hand in hand with a handful of major manufacturers and distributors along with many other CE channels. My main focus is credit and finance and the viability of companies making payment on goods and services within the CE industry. I have extensive knowledge in product life cycles, inventory management and SKU information and of course what products are moving in the market.

OK, to sum things up, Zvi knows a lot about a lot, and I am sure he will send us some awesome updates. So check back here regularly during the show for frequent updates, you never know, we might be the first to report a huge announcement by one of the main industry players.

-Hillel

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January 4, 2009 by hilzfuld on Tech

Twitter: My New Addiction

One of the main buzz words on the Web for at least 6 months (probably more like a year) has been Twitter. Seems like everyone who is anyone, is using it. So of course I had to check it out. Before I did that though, I talked it over with a few friends and asked a simple question; “why would I use Twitter to read status updates if I can do that via Facebook?” I really did not get the point. Status updates? That’s all?

The main answer I got to my question was that Twitter is a simpler and more user friendly site than Facebook. No applications, no ads, no other annoyances that we find all too often on Facebook. After using Twitter for a few weeks now and admittedly becoming an addict, I can tell you that the answer I got is an accurate one, but that is not what makes Twitter so attractive. That is not what is going to take Facebook users away from Facebook.

So, if not that, then what? Why is Twitter so useful? Why has it become such a popular social networking tool? I am sure there are a lot of different explanations for this phenomenon, but to me, there is one major difference between the people you interact with on Facebook and on Twitter. Let me explain. Facebook is based on a “friend” system. Generally, your Facebook friends are people you know personally. Yes, I know everyone has people on their list that they do not know, but Facebook is geared toward adding your real life friends to your list.

Twitter, on the other hand, enables you to follow someone you do not know, have never met, and probably will never meet. You can follow their tweets if their life interests you. The thing is though, that does not mean they are going to follow you back. They are not your “friend” just because you are following them. Let me give you a few examples. I read Digg every day at least 10 times a day (in fact, some days I have a Digg tab open all day). Twitter enables you to add the Digg category you choose and get updated on popular stories in real time without opening your Web browser. I do not know who the individual behind this Digg account is, nor do I care. They are not following me because they do not care about my life updates, but that does not mean I cannot follow them.

Another example is Shaq. Yes, I follow Shaq (at least I am not following Britney), and contrary to the way Facebook works, this, from what I gather, is the real Shaq. I follow him, but I do not see him following me any time in the near future. So to sum up the main reason I love Twitter so much, there is no approving mechanism, you can pretty much follow anyone you want, unless of course they make their profile private (which, by the way, I do not get why anyone would want to do).

I am pretty new to Twitter and am learning new things every day, you would be surprised how complex status updates could be. Learning about DMs (direct messages), retweets, desktop clients (using twhirl), and of course iPhone apps (I like TwitterFon).

I find myself using Twitter as a news source, since the news gets tweeted way before it is reported by the news websites. One more thing Twitter has helped me with, is getting over my Facebook addiction. Facebook? Na, so 2008!

-Hillel

January 2, 2009 by hilzfuld on iPhone, Mobile, Software

iChallenge for iSteam

After the huge success of certain apps that surprised us all (OK, I will say it, iFart), and the resulting quote on Apple.com from Tech N’ Marketing, I think I am going to share with you my thoughts on not only very useful apps like VLC Remote or Nimbuzz, but also on an app that is just pure entertainment. This app truly has no practical use whatsoever, in fact I challenge my readers to come up with an original way to use the following app.

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iSteam: This app displays what looks like steam on your iPhone display and lets you draw shapes using the steam, like you would do on a car window. You can “steam up” the display by blowing into the mic on your iPhone’s or restarting the app on your iPod Touch. Yes, the app works on an iPod Touch even though it requires a mic to fully take advantage of the app’s functionality. Can you think of any scenario in which you could actually benefit from this app? I know I cannot.

-Hillel

January 1, 2009 by hilzfuld on PC

Blue Screen of Death at Israeli Train Station

Yesterday, while waiting for a train to my next job interview, I noticed that the monitor that is supposed to list the train times, had a Blue Screen of Death. Somehow, even though it was not my PC that was displaying the screen, I had that “warm” feeling that only Microsoft knows how to give you when their product fails. You know what I mean, the one that causes your heart to skip a few beats and your mind to say “oh no, not again”. Yea, I get that feeling too often, and I am not even running vista.

I know I know, time to upgrade my phone

You think Hamas was responsible for this?

Update: I did not make up the term “Blue Screen of Death” just to have a good title, that is what it is called. Take a look.

-Hillel

January 1, 2009 by hilzfuld on Mobile

Samsung Behold: The Past Meets the Future

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TechEBlog provided us with a video review of the Samsung T919 Behold (gotta love these silly names). I was fortunate enough to play with the device and was very impressed with it. The specs are close to unbeatable with a 3 inch haptic touch screen, 3.5G, built-in GPS, stereo Bluetooth, a whopping 5 mp camera, all in a very sleek 11.4 mm package.

The phone was very responsive, and Samsung included the ability to move around the home screen widgets as desired. The camera takes very impressive high quality photos and the phone got great reviews from pretty much everyone.

So what’s with my title? Well, this phone definitely has a lot of characteristics of a “futuristic” phone, but two huge factors prevented me from buying it, and essentially make it a totally outdated device I might have seen on the market 5 years ago (OK, maybe not 5, but 2 regular years is equivalent to 5 years in the mobile industry). Let’s start with the smaller of the two; lack of Wifi.

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OK, it’s true, many devices do not have Wifi. I just feel that a phone with a 3 inch touch screen and built in GPS, should also have Wifi, a feature available a long time before phones had GPS and touch screens. However, I would have considered buying this device even with the lack of Wifi, if it was not for the next issue; a closed operating system.

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In today’s day and age, with all the various app stores, would anyone in their right mind buy a cellular device thats functionality cannot be expanded using 3rd party software? No installing IM clients, no task manager apps, no social networking programs, and of course, most importantly, no games. I do not think Samsung was feeling well the day they thought up this concept. A phone with a 5mp camera, but no ability to download software? Now, that is a little weird.

-Hillel

December 31, 2008 by hilzfuld on iPhone, Mac, Marketing, Mobile, PC

Zune Touch: Too Little Too Late, iPod Touch HD is Coming

zunetouch As usual, Microsoft seems to be playing catch, this time it’s with Apple. Rumor has it, Microsoft is going to be announcing their Zune Touch, which is supposed to compete with the iPod Touch. OK, so first of all, couldn’t they come up with a better name? Second of all, I do believe Zunes will never compete with iPods. More importantly though, seems like Microsoft has missed the boat, again!

Since we are talking about the Zune Touch rumor, let’s look at what current rumors there are about Apple’s next line of iPod Touch. OK, sit down Bill, the next gen iPod Touch, according to some serious and unofficially confirmed rumors, will not have a 3.5′ screen like the current one. Nope, not 4 or 5 either. Depending on who you ask, the device will boast either a 7′ or 9′ screen.

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You heard right! Apple is going to be releasing an iPod Touch HD. It will be a gigantic iPod (obviously it will be more like a tablet device than an iPod) with all the amazing advantages of an iPod Touch, including its OS, accelerometer, and most importantly the App Store. According to Arrington, we have no info on pricing but it is expected to go for significantly more than the $400 32GB iPod Touch.

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So what do I mean when I say these rumors are unofficially confirmed? Well, Techcrunch has 3 independent sources for this scoop, including one that has supposedly held the device. That’s good enough for me! Does the thought of an MP3 player with a 3′-4′ touch screen, made by Microsoft, still excite you?

-Hillel

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Tech N' Marketing

A Blog About The Newest Technology And Marketing

Author: hilzfuld

HTC to Announce a Pre-Killer

Palm Is So Back With Its New Palm Pre

Would You Eat Here?

CES is Coming up And We Are There

Twitter: My New Addiction

iChallenge for iSteam

Blue Screen of Death at Israeli Train Station

Samsung Behold: The Past Meets the Future

Zune Touch: Too Little Too Late, iPod Touch HD is Coming