Samsung is now the underdog and that’s bad news for HTC
For a while, Samsung could do no wrong. With a big-time marketing budget, it didn’t matter if the critics praised them or not. It didn’t matter if their phones were plastic or if they were loaded with tons of bloatware because people went to the carrier stores and bought them. However, things took a big turn in 2014 thanks to many cheaper handsets and Apple’s commitment to enter the 21st century with a larger display on the iPhone 6. By the end of 2014, Samsung’s market share dropped significantly, and companies like HTC are thinking Samsung is now ripe for the picking. Sounds logical right? Wrong!
For the past few years, if your company name wasn’t Samsung or Apple, you were an underdog. HTC has been one of those companies and they might have been the best underdog anyone could dream of. They built some of the finest phones in the land and received more praise than any other Android manufacturer, but non of it delivered results. HTC thought that people would “wake up and smell the coffee”, and switch to the HTC One, but they didn’t. They forgot that marketing is the key to success or failure. No one could expect HTC to have the ability to pour the millions into a campaign that Samsung could, but they didn’t even try. They lacked direction and consistency. They would start one stupid campaign and end it abruptly, only to start another ridiculous one shortly after.
What HTC didn’t realize was that Samsung was actually ripe for the picking two years ago when the original One (M7) was unveiled because that’s when Samsung’s decline was in motion. Unfortunately they didn’t seize the moment, and now they are in a bit of a pickle. With Samsung’s market share dropping to a 3-year low, Samsung is now an underdog, which doesn’t bode well for HTC.
The press and analysts are saying 2015 is a very crucial year for Samsung, but unfortunately it also happens to be the same for HTC since they have yet to show any sustained profitability. HTC will unveil the 3rd edition of the One phone this Sunday with the hopes that they will finally get to the Promise Land since Samsung, or shall I say Goliath, is about to go down. One big problem…..In HTC’s words, “It took you (Samsung) copycats six times to get it right.” This line comes from a rap song (and video) called “Hold the Crown” that HTC released a few weeks ago. Remember that lousy marketing effort I mentioned? HTC is telling you the consumer that Samsung has it right now, and they (HTC) couldn’t convince you to buy their (HTC) phone when Samsung was getting it wrong, but now that Samsung has it right, you should buy their (HTC’s) phone because they (HTC) hold the crown. Seriously?
So yes, Samsung is about to get it right, but it doesn’t matter that it took them 6 years to do it because they already have brand recognition from proper marketing. Samsung’s problems aren’t because consumers are down on them. It’s because Apple made a resurgence with a refreshed product and there are more lower priced handsets in the marketplace. Samsung already has a loyal following, and now that they are “getting it right”, they are about to rejuvenate that following much like Apple did when they enlarged the iPhone. It’s a lot easier to get back to the top of the mountain when you’ve already been there. Just ask Tom Brady, who recently appeared in his 6th Super Bowl. Samsung is about to do the same with the Galaxy S 6, and possibly the Galaxy S 6 Edge.
HTC had their chance but completely blew it. They wasted 2 years of senseless marketing, and now they are about to release the 3rd version of the One with basically the same design. Love the quality man, but it’s getting a little old don’t you think? At the same time, Samsung is now refreshed, and the S6 is going to have that new car smell. Trust me when I say that Samsung will make a big splash next week at Mobile World Congress. I am not saying that every critic will now fall in love with them, but they will deliver a product that will excite consumers. On the contrary, HTC will be offering more of the same, which is never exciting. To top it off, HTC chose to unveil their “more of the same” product on the very same day the world gets to see the Galaxy S 6. In other words, HTC chose to share the spotlight, which is something they haven’t done in a long time. Yet another big mistake.
I feel bad for HTC because I have always loved their phones. I said the One X was the best Android phone hands down, I said the One (M7) was the best phone on the planet, and I referred to the One (M8) as the Rolex of smartphones. I rooted for HTC but now I am excited for what Samsung has to offer, and I think the mainstream consumer is as well. Unfortunately that’s bad news for HTC.
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LG kicks off the G Flex 2′s global rollout
After unveiling its G Flex 2 at the Consumer Electronics Show last month, LG has today announced that its second-generation curved smartphone has begun its global rollout. The device will be available from major carriers in the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, Germany and the United Kingdom as early as next week.
Just in case you need a refresher on its specs, the G Flex 2 packs a 5.5-inch curved P-OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable internal storage, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2.1-megapixel front-facing shooter.
Will you be picking up a G Flex 2? Be sure to let us know down below.
Source: LG
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Bargain Lumias continue to grab Windows Phone market share, Windows 10 makes a dent
Lumia 535 continues to grow, Windows 10 grabs some of the market, and new mysterious Lumias are discovered
The story of Windows Phone market share within itself is now a familiar one, with budget phones abounding. Last month we saw a rapid entry of the new Microsoft Lumia 535 to many markets, including India. AdDuplex (AdDulex.com) has now released its numbers for February, 2015, and they mainly reflect this trend.
No surprises here as the biggest gains were seen by the Lumia 530, Lumia 630/635 and the Microsoft branded Lumia 535. However, some new unannounced Lumias were also spotted, giving us a peek at next week’s MWC event.
GTA V PC version delayed to April 14, Heists coming to Xbox gamers March 10
There’s good news and bad news for fans of Grand Theft Auto V. Rockstar Games stated today that the long awaited Heists mode for GTA Online will launch on March 10 for the console version of the game, including the Xbox One and Xbox 360 versions. Sadly, the long awaited PC port of the open world action game has been delayed yet again and is now scheduled for launch on April 14.
The 250 still-missing emoji
Apple has added 300 new emoji to the iOS 8.3 and OS X 10.10.3 betas, but they’re focused almost exclusively on inclusivity — diversity in skin tones and country flags. The watch, phone, and computer emoji have been redrawn to match Apple’s current products, but it doesn’t appear that any of the new Unicode standard emoji have been added. Paul Kafasis, writing for One Foot Tsunami:
None of the emoji from the updated Unicode 7 spec are included. Apple continues to flip us the figurative bird by refusing to provide us with a literal middle finger. Diversity of races is surely a good thing, but where is the diversity for people who wish to communicate with widely recognized hand gestures? Surely we deserve satisfaction!
Apple might be too family-focused to include the “middle finger” emoji, but there are 250 in total that could be interesting to add, including the “live long and prosper” Vulcan hand, “joystick”, “cloud with lightning”, and many more.
(Sadly, “tacos”, like “poutine”, haven’t yet passed the proposal stage.)
iOS 8.3 is still in beta, and iOS 8.4 and iOS 9 are still forthcoming, so it’s possible we haven’t seen the last of the new emoji. While 250 is a huge number, a lot of them are variants that could be accessible through a long press gesture the way the skin tones are implemented now.
P.S.: In case you’re concerned about Apple spending time on emoji instead of fixing whatever bug is bugging you most — the person drawing emoji isn’t the person who’s tasked with fixing your bug. Messages is the most popular app on iOS, and adding fun things like new emoji has relatively little impact on production, but a huge impact on our ability to tease and troll each other.
If, like Paul, you’d like to see more of the new emoji from Apple, you can dupe his bug report via rdar://19925942.
Sid Meier’s Starships coming to iPad and Mac on March 12 for $15
Sid Meier’s Starships, the space-based strategy game that was first announced in mid-January now has a firm release date and price for the iPad and Mac. The latest effort from the legendary game developer and his team at Firaxis Games will be released on March 12 for $15.
The release date and price was first revealed today via a hands-on preview of Sid Meier’s Starships by Pocket Tactics. It states:
You have one (and only one) pawn on this board: your fleet of starships, which you dispatch around the galaxy, taking on missions to earn the loyalty of these planets. Prove yourself a steadfast and noble ally to the people of Pavonis 58 by killing some pirates or putting down a rebellion and they’ll join your empire, growing your borders and granting you more resources.
Previously, the game’s publisher 2K Games stated that folks who own Firaxis’ 2014 released title Civilization: Beyond Earth who decide to get Sid Meier’s Starships would see some special links between both games that 2K claimed would “enhance and expand upon both game experiences.” A few days ago, a post on the official Civilization website detailed how those links would be established:
Both the Starships and Beyond Earth teams have been interested in the idea of having two separate games able to pass information between them, and what that might mean for players. This is our first experiment with this cross-game connectivity. We’re handling this through my2K. If you log into your my2K account within Starships or Beyond Earth, then we will be able to establish a connection between the two games. If you don’t already have a my2K account, you’ll need to create one. For now, this system works for Beyond Earth and Starships, but may extend to future titles as well. The first time you log into your my2K account from Beyond Earth, you will get an exclusive map: the Glacier planet. The my2K system has been used on other 2K titles previously, including Firaxis’ Haunted Hollow.
Source: Pocket Tactics
Microsoft announces new OneDrive API for all of your devices
Microsoft has announced a new API for OneDrive that will make it easy for developers to integrate the company’s cloud storage service into their apps. The API supports all major platforms, including the web, Windows, iOS, and Android.
Microsoft announces new OneDrive API for all of your devices
Microsoft has announced a new API for OneDrive that will make it easy for developers to integrate the company’s cloud storage service into their apps. The API supports all major platforms, including the web, Windows, iOS, and Android.
From Microsoft:
We built the OneDrive API to provide a foundation to continue evolving the platform and enable all developers to access the full functionality of OneDrive. It provides better speed and functionality, with new features including:
- the ability to retrieve new changes to files and folders to efficiently keep a large set of files in sync with minimal calls
- resumable uploads of files up to 10 GB via file-fragment uploading for working with rich content, like HD videos
- customizable file thumbnail images for delivering a more integrated experience across your app and OneDrive
Microsoft is also working with a number of developers to add support for the new OneDrive API to their apps, such as PicMonkey, PandaDoc, and IFTTT. If you want to get started adding the OneDrive API to your own app, you can head over to the OneDrive Github page now to check it out.
Source: Microsoft
Mercedes-Benz chairman isn’t losing any sleep over Apple Car rumors
Dieter Zetsche, the Chairman of the Board of Daimler AG and the head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, doesn’t seem to be concerned about the recent rumors that Apple may be developing its own automobile. In a recent interview, he is quoted as saying, “If there were a rumour that Mercedes or Daimler planned to start building smartphones then they (Apple) would not be sleepless at night. And the same applies to me.”
Zetsche was interviewed by Motoring.com.au and while he is “full of respect for Apple”, he doesn’t feel the team at Cupertino needs to be entering the automobile business. He stated:
“I don’t find any rationale (for Apple to build a car),” he said. “Why (Apple) with this kind of margin would now go into this business? I think investors will hate it because they don’t like conglomerates, they want focussed management on what they understand.
“Perhaps some neighbouring fields but not somewhere different. The fact you can listen to iTunes in a car doesn’t make it in itself consistent.
“I don’t know their strategy and I do not know what they are doing, but I would be very surprised if that proved to be right.”
Zetsche’s comments on Apple’s rumored plans were echoed earlier this month by former General Motors CEO Dan Akerson who said, “I would be highly suspect of the long-term prospect of getting into a low-margin, heavy-manufacturing” business like making cars.
Source: Motoring.com.au; via 9to5Mac
Forge is an iPad storyboard for your creativity
Most sketching apps on the market focus on single projects and their underlying layers, rather than a canvas of ideas and suggestions. Forge is different.
I’ve long thought the iPad was perfect for rough storyboarding: It’s not an artist’s preferred medium for detail work, but it’s portable, and easy to sketch on, and has plenty of storage space. Forge, built by the folks behind the Jot Touch stylus, invites you to explore a hundred different ideas and sketches in storyboard format, iterating and trashing and reinventing as you go. I’ve been testing Forge for months, and it’s become one of my go-to tools for planning and messing around with creative ideas.
An elegant weapon for a more civilized age
Forge is built on iterative design, and uses the iPad’s multitouch gestures to make it feel as natural as can be. Tap to start a canvas, doodle with the pencil tool, swipe from the right edge of the screen to copy your initial design to a new canvas.
Pinch to view your project storyboard. Pinch again to view all your projects. Drag sketches around the storyboard to rearrange and reposition them. Throw a sketch into the top corners to move it between projects. Iterate off anything.
The process feels smooth and intuitive: It reminds me of drawing on post-its or a legal pad, ripping off pages and tacking them to a wall, and starting anew. It feels free and exciting in a way your run-of-the-mill drawing app doesn’t.
Of course, Forge’s organizational skills are only half the puzzle: An app like this doesn’t work if its drawing tools are subpar. Thankfully, Adonit’s team has built a drawing app that’s anything but subpar: The pencil, ink, brush marker, marker, and airbrush tools are excellently rendered and can easily hold court with apps like Paper. I have a high standard for pencil rendering, and while Forge’s pencil tool doesn’t quite eclipse Paper’s, it’s more than acceptable. Forge also lets you adjust each tool’s brush size — a feature that’s long been on my Paper wishlist.
Moreover, if you want to start a drawing in another app and then bring it into Forge, or work off source material, you can import any image from your camera library. Working on an Apple Car mockup? Pull in images from all the top car competitors or concept cars you’d like to start working from and stick them to your project board. Instantly, you have a reference collage of images at your fingertips.
Intentional limitations
Like Paper, Forge isn’t designed to be a do-everything sketching app. You’re limited to four layers per sketch, and at present you can only export canvases as PDFs or PNGs; you can’t export a full project wall at all. I don’t mind the layer limitation, as idea iteration means I can save old layers for potential later use, but I’d like to see more export options — to Photoshop, perhaps, or exporting an entire wall as a giant PDF for reference.
As a longshot wishlist feature, I’d love to see some sort of third-party collaboration option for project boards: It’d be amazing to start a project, share it with a collaborator via iCloud, then iterate on each other’s sketches — each from our own devices. You can sort of do this now by passing exported sketches back and forth, but you don’t have access to layers, and it requires a messaging component.
Some might take umbrage with Forge limiting pressure-sensitive stylus support to its Jot Touch, but it makes plenty of business sense to me — Adonit’s hardware sales support the company, allow it to release Forge for free, and advertise the Jot Touch to people who may not know about it. Regular capacitative styluses also work just fine in Forge, so you can still take advantage of the majority of the drawing options. Without a pressure-sensitive stylus enabled, Forge varies line width with speed, like many other iPad drawing apps.
Bottom line
If you work in a field that demands iteration — design, costuming, sketching, cartooning, filmmaking — Forge is an incredible tool and one worth playing with. It’s free to download; if you want to create more than two project walls, you’ll have to pay a $4 in-app purchase fee. Any iPad running iOS 8 or later can launch Forge, though I found it worked best on the iPad Air 2.
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