Samsung Galaxy S IV leaked press release shots? Credits from: Sammobile.com
Along with the announcement of Apple regarding the release and launched of their new mobile devices, there are rumors that swirled with how their competitors would try to match their iPhone 5.
One of the biggest competitors is Samsung with its Samsung Galaxy Phones and its line of devices. There were reports that they would soon release the Galaxy S4 to the market as a response to the upgraded hardware and capabilities of the iPhone 5.
Surprising:
Many people think that the rumor is actually quite surprising. This is because their current flagship handset, the Samsung Galaxy S3, is a good selling unit. There are reports that in the first 100 days of the Samsung Galaxy S3, its sales were already able to reach 20 Million. In fact, Samsung actually projects that they would be able to hit and surpass 30 Million in years end. Aside from the existing sales projections of the Galaxy S3, there are also plans by Samsung to release a larger capacity model, a 64GB one, by the end of the year.
Based on these two things, it would actually be quite surprising if Samsung would actually want to cannibalize their own sales by introducing a new phone when the existing ones are still doing relatively well.
Samsung downplays rumors:
Samsung actually denied the rumors that their flagship device would be releasing on the 1st quarter of 2013. The Korea based handset maker released a twitter post from their official account which basically states that the released date mentioned were nothing more than rumors.
Loosely translated from the original Korean posting, the manufacturer stated: “Please note that some media reported speculation that the Galaxy S3 subsequent models will be released is not true. Why spread these rumors?”
This statement doused cold water on the belief that Samsung would use the Mobile World Congress (MWC) to be held in Barcelona as their platform for the announcement. The MWC would occur on February, which would have played nicely with the 1st Quarter 2013 rumors.
If the twitter post is a serious statement (and coming from the official twitter account it has a high possibility) and is not just a marketing ploy to be secret about it, then Samsung would definitely not release it on those rumored date.
Of course, it could also be a way to keep things secret and the company would surprise everyone by releasing their device on a relatively early date.
In previous years, people usually lugged around multiple gadgets for productivity and entertainment, the most common include laptops, mobile phones, and MP3 players. With the launch of tablet devices, which is basically all those gadgets rolled into one conveniently light and portable device, it has become a must-have for lots of people from businessmen to students and housewives. Even if you don’t have a tablet yet, chances are you’re planning or saving up to get one for yourself. Though the tablet is effective in substituting your laptop for browsing and gaming, it still doesn’t have the basic yet most important gadget feature that we need for communication – texting and calling. But have you heard of Tablet Talk? It’s this new amazing app available in the Google Play Store that is a comprehensive SMS app that allows users to send and receive text messages with a tablet, using the same mobile number you in your smartphone. Now you can really say that your tablet is an all-in-one gadget!
Tablet Talk features include:
- Messages are sent instantly and received from your phone without delay.
- Syncs SMS directly between devices so that your messages do not go through any intermediate servers.
- Your tablet rings when you receive a call. You can use a headset with your phone and dial/answer calls from the tablet.
- It only runs when you want it.
- Easily switches between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
- Syncs all text threads from phone to tablet.
Installation is easy. For both gadgets, tablet and smartphone, you only need to purchase it once from the Google Play Store. Here’s how to install it:
- Open up the Google Play Store
- Search Tablet Talk
- Tap the Tablet Talk entry
- Tap Purchase
- Tap Buy
- Tap Install
You have to install it on both your phone and tablet. When you’ve purchased the app, the second installation will remove the “purchase” step.
The app is a big hit with on-the-go techies and has earned the recognition of being a must-have app for users who are looking for the convenience of using only one gadget for their work and communication. You won’t miss any important messages because Tablet talk uses a direct connection, messages are synced instantly without any delay. It integrates nearly every feature from a phone’s SMS app, and provides other helpful communication functions like Caller ID and quick reply pop ups.
When using your tablet for calls and text, it does not use your phone’s data sending messaging. Tablet Talk doesn’t use the cloud or intermediate servers so your privacy is protected. Also it’s way easier to text using the large interface of the tablet than on your phone. Tablet Talk is also convenient to use when you are on the go and driving a car.
Its been around 3 to 4 years since online deal sites became popular in the Philippines and they’re still growing. The fact that this industry is continuing to grow just proves that people are getting good deals at affordable prices. The convenience of shopping online and the massive discounts people are getting from these sites really makes this industry special.
There are some sites that really dominated this industry sites like Ensogo, CashCash Pinoy and Metrodeal among the list. But there are some sites that specializes on particular categories or niche. So far I’ve only found a few sites that offers deals or products which you won’t find anywhere else. Check out the list below for the exclusive shopping sites without any particular order.
“Get up to 80% Off on exclusive travel, dining and shopping destinations across the Philippines.”
“Based on what is available on their FAQ page, Deal Dozen is all about sharing and referrals. One really cool thing about the site is that it sells coupons and deals that does not require a minimum number of required purchases before it becomes valid. “ Source: Dealies – Deal Dozen
“Members get insider access to limited-time offers from exclusive partners.”
“Deal Grocer stands out from the rest of the group buying sites because they focus on the premium line of products and services. Unlike other group buying sites, there is no minimum number of buyers required. Instead, they use a voucher system wherein the deal goes on as soon as the voucher is bought.” Source: PMT
“iGrab is an exclusive online shopping outlet in the Philippines that offers special discounts to its members on top brands, world class restaurants, travel packages and more.”
Since the site is still new, there is no available reviews yet but I find their offers very promising, so I got to check it out regularly for updates.
“Get exclusive discounts to Ascott, Benefit, Ipanema, Olympus (via Henry’s Professional), plus other special deals in Ayala Malls!”
Just like iGrab, I’m not able to find reviews about A-Deals but upon seeing their site, most of their deals are about fashion, gadgets (digicams) and beauty products.
“AVA The Home of Beautiful Things”
“Ava.ph is the Philippines’ first invitation-only online shopping community. They offer fashion’s finest pieces for fashion’s finest women at discounted members-only pricess of up to 70% off” Source: Manila Shopaholic
There are other websites that I wasn’t able to mention so please help me find them by sending me a message or by adding your comments.
I know this is a late post as it’s been almost 3 weeks since the fight happened and most of us have already moved on but I’d still like to share this though. So I’ve watched the Pacquiao vs. Bradley fight again and still just like the rest of the world and the WBO Judges who rejudged the fight, Pacquiao won over Tim Bradley.
Here are the top 5 possibly conspiracy theories I found on the net while I was “moving on” with the loss.
1. The 16th Fight Curse
This was even told on the news, if you check Manny’s record, he loses a fight every 16th Fight. Is it a coincidence or a curse its a Robbery I think 
?
Source: A bad omen for Pacquiao on June 9
Loss to Rustico Torrecampo on [February 9, 1996]
Streak of 15 wins from [April 27, 1996 to April 24, 1999]
Loss to Medgoen Singsurat on[ September 17, 1999]
Streak of 13 wins, 2 draws from [December 18, 1999 to December 11, 2004]
Loss to Erik Morales on [March 19, 2005]
Streak of 15 wins from [September 10, 2005 to November 12, 2011]
Timothy Bradley – loss [June 9, 2012]
2. The Rosary
Manny was wearing a Rosary at the time of the fight so no big issue here, maybe some people just didn’t notice it because it was removed by Buboy immediately.
3. The Celtics Lost / Manny watched the Game 7 before his Fight / Fight Start Delay
Its no secret that Pacquiao is a huge basketball fan and a Celtic fan as well, he was even an Honorary Member of the Celtics. Some say that he’s not 100% mentally focused on the fight and that had affected his performance.
Anyway Bob Arum released a statement that the main event won’t start until the NBA Celtics vs. Heat Game 7 is over.
4. Teddy Atlas Jinx
Teddy Picked Manny Pacquiao over Tim Bradley
Teddy picked Margarito over Pacquiao…Cotto over Margo…Goldie over Mayweather …Mosley over Cotto…Austin over Wlad K…Thompson over Klitschko…Byrd over Wlad K, really?…Mayorga over DLH, no way!!…Kessler over Calzaghe…Margo over Mosley, a lot of us did…Taylor over Pavlik …Pavlik over Hopkins…Jones Jr over Calzaghe, he didn’t!!…oh yes…wait, it gets better…Zab Judah over Mayweather and Miguel Cotto…Kermit Cintron over Antonio Margarito…Marco Antonio Barrera over Manny Pacquiao…twice…“the Baby Bull” over JMM…and “Barney Rubble” over “The Steel Hammer”.
Wow, no boxing expert can be wrong this often, can they?
http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=26956&more=1
5. Casino Mafia / Bob Arum Masterplan
Hmmm, this is a nice read regarding this matter: Pacquiao-Bradley Fight: A Mafia-Manipulated Decision?
Before the fight, Tim Bradley showed a huge ticket about the rematch of their fight, as they said did Bradley really knew what would happen or it’s just confidence?
After the fight, Bob Arum was quoted saying: “I’m going to make a lot of money on the rematch, but this was outrageous. “
Source: ESPN Go
My take? I think its not a Mafia or anything planned because Manny is his Cash Cow and anything that would ruin the reputation of his fighter would really hurt his business especially someone as big as Manny Pacquiao.
Recently DSource wrote an interesting article entitled: “Of Pacquiao, religious leeches and a sports hero’s decline” I recommend you read it as well.
Twitter has recently announced that they would soon roll out new features that would make their site more interactive. The main thrust is through updating their “expanded tweets” section by adding more previews, images and videos from a variety of news outlets.
Currently, the expanded tweets section would only contain 140 character snippets of various news items. The user could read a small preview of an entire article and then click on the link to be able to expand it and read its entirety. Twitter plans on updating it by now allowing users to preview the headline, introduction and perhaps even the twitter accounts of the publisher and the author. As mentioned above, they are also exploring methods that would allow the expanded tweets feature to have embedded multimedia content.
Improves Twitter Stickiness:
The move is seen as a big boost in the goal of improving the micro blogging site’s stickiness. Stickiness refers to the length that a user would actually stay on the website. Previously, users would just get a quick update on their feeds and read up on the 140 character tweets that were presented to them.
However, by adding more news outlets and content providers as well as embedding interactive multimedia, users would be more inclined to start browsing and staying on the website. Twitter could then become the “one stop shop” for internet users who would want both their social and current events fix.
Twitter’s goal seems to be to make things easier and faster for their users. Analysts are saying that since most of the tweets are comment on online content, making these readily available from the twitter site itself would definitely help in making it less hassle for the readers. This kind of setup would be a boost for the user, the writer, the reader and the website itself.
This is a great boon as reviews showed that they are not getting newer Twitter users at the rate that they used to. However, the current user base has become more engaged with the service. By adding these kinds of features, they can expect the numbers of the engaged users to climb much higher.
Analysts are expecting that a diverse and growing group of new partners such as the Wall Street Journal, MSNBC’s Breaking news, and Time would be going on board with twitter to help in delivering the rich content that users would want to read up on.
Recommended Read:
Friendster, Myspace, and in 8 years… Facebook? This seems to be the idea that an analyst in the Information Technology field is saying regarding the success of Facebook in the Future. Eric Jackson, founder of Ironfire Capitla, recently stated that “In five to eight years they [Facebook] are going to disappear in the way that Yahoo has disappeared.”
A combination of reasons:
This supposed downfall of Facebook is based on a variety of reasons. Jackson is stating that the main reason is that facebook is having a hard time in monetizing their mobile services. While facebook has already been successful in the social media, he believes that the company has done very little when it comes to providing additional business in its other areas. He believes that if Facebook would not be able to capitalize on the mobile arena, then their growth would be stunted, and they may face a similar situation with other previous internet giants.
Another reason that analysts point out which could cause the downfall of Facebook is the fact that there are many companies who are trying to compete with them when it comes to social media. There are so many other companies which are trying to gain a similar market with facebook and some of them are succeeding in doing so. Being the market leader, so many companies are gunning for their success, that a Facebook misstep could definitely open up a chance for other firms to step up and challenge them.
Lastly, analysts are also saying that Facebook can become a victim of its own success. Because of its growth and expansion, facebook is no longer the slow and nimble company that it once was. Due to their increased size, their decisions would have to go through more people before they can make a move. Now, with the company also becoming publicly listed, they would have to answer to stakeholders as well.
Not a certainty:
Of course, their downfall is not a certainty. Facebook as a company does have ways to be able to stay relevant for more than the projected 8 years. Facebook must really try to monetize their mobile services and they are doing steps to be able to do so.
These steps would include the way that Facebook has recently redesigned its mobile interface to make it easier to see pictures and other posts. We can expect that they would be doing more steps towards making them more relevant in the mobile space.
Check out this post regarding Microsoft’s Genius Battle Strategy for Bing wherein Bing is now capable of showing in their results the likes, comments and other activities in Facebook.