Tech Roundup – More Lawsuits, Attack on Free Speech and Some Good News

It is after some time interval that I am writing this post in quick succession after the last one – and therefore, I will start with much ado.

More Lawsuits in the Mobile World

In the Mobile world, lawsuits and more lawsuits seem to be the flavor of the season. And conforming to its recently gained notoriety, Apple is once again the chief purveyor. Recently, it added six more devices to its list of Samsung products that it wants banned in the US – taking the total to an astonishing 14!

Indeed, the battle, now spanning continents, is getting more and more curious! For example, Apple seems to have won the suit in US, but lost it in the UK – where it had to even apologize publicly (although some legerdemain saw it getting away from a seemingly humiliating apology). However, in South Korea – the court ruling has been mixed – Apple has been held guilty of two patent infringements, and ordered to pay USD 20 million for each, while Samsung has been held in reach of one Apple patent, and ordered to pay 25 million in damages.

Nokia also seems to have jumped in the lawsuit bandwagon, and recently filed patent infringement suits against RIM (makers of Blackberry), HTC and Viewsonic. Perhaps, all the warring parties can take a cue from HTC, which settled its lawsuit with Apple (who else!) to better focus on product development.

Silver Lining

All is not gloom and doom in the mobile world – it is well and truly clicking! One of the brightest sparks is the rumors regarding the impending launch of Samsung IV – which will be reportedly equipped with a 5” full HD AMOLED screen and a Quad Core CPU.

For the resurrected Akash tablet project in India, some encouragement came from unexpected quarters – a decently attended function of global envoys at the UN saw the UN chief – Ban Ki Moon – publicly praising the tablet as having the potential to reach millions of young people who want information and education. However, all is not rosy for the Akash tablet venture, which is facing sustained questions on the device being sourced from China, opening a potential can of worms regarding false commitments, inflated pricing, and kickbacks.

Microsoft also got some encouragement in the form of healthy figures for its recently launched Windows 8 – which has reportedly sold over 40 million new licenses in a month since the launch.

Attack on Free Speech

The Indian Constitution guarantees freedom of speech under Article 19(1) – as one of the fundamental rights to Indian citizens. However, this right seems to be coming under sustained attack over the recent past. We have frequently seen bold statements over social networking sites being withdrawn, and users being randomly arrested and harassed over critical remarks against establishment.

Just following the Aseem Trivedi fiasco, one Twitter user in Tamilnadu was arrested by overzealous cops when he made a critical remark against business dealings of the Finance Minister’s (of India) son. More recently two girls were arrested in Mumbai for the simple “crime” of questioning the city shutdown following the death of Bal Thackeray. And just a couple of days back, another youngster found himself in deep trouble when he made “derogatory” comments against Raj Thackeray.

Perhaps the Indian polity, and the society at large, has a long way to go before we understand the true import of the freedom of speech.

Other Noteworthy Developments

Akai, a brand well known for affordable products, launched two HD LCD TV models – in 15 inch and 17 inch screen versions, and priced ate Rs 8,000 and 10,000 respectively.

Flipkart.com, one of the leading online retailers in India, announced the launch of its e-book stores, and a dedicated app that is compatible with Android OS. The e-book store also carries around 4,000 free titles.

For those looking to send large sized files over e-mail, here is some good news – Google has integrated its Gmail service with its cloud storage service – Drive. Using Gmail, users can now send files as large as 10GB!

5 Gadgets for a More Desirable Office

Any person who has ever worked in an office will appreciate the fact some office set ups tend to be more productive than others. While overall productivity is dependent on a number of variables - one can agree that the office environment plays a big part in it. By office environment here, I mean the equipment  furniture and other aid that help a worker to achieve the give task.

Some things are a given in any office set up – comfortable furniture, suitable lighting, efficient computers and telecom equipment – to name a few. The presence of these things is sufficient for most tasks in an office. However, for those willing to go the extra mile and further boost office productivity, a number of gadgets are available. While some of these gadgets can perform extra tasks, some just add further comfort to the working conditions and make life easier for workers by adding some zing to work!

Here is a list of five gadgets that can add some pizzazz to your normal work routine, enhance office productivity and help the office workers to accomplish more in a normal working day –

Portable Projectors

A portable projector is a valuable companion, especially when you need to make a lot of reports in PPT slides, or make presentations to clients who might give you only a small time window. Consider a literal “elevator pitch” scenario – wouldn't you be better equipped to convince the client if you had a pocket projector, that you can simply whip out of your pocket and add considerable weight to your words?

Card Scanner

In any business, managers tend to get a lot of visiting cards. The number of cards may increase if you are in a position of making crucial buying decisions, and a lot of people visit you, and then leave you with a sheaf of visiting cards to handle. Not everyone is hugely organized to docket even visiting cards properly, and even if you are, the sheer number of such cards may overwhelm you. In that case, a card scanner is a valuable accessory to have – just swipe the card through the slot – and you have everything stored electronically. A number of card scanners can easily sync with Outlook – helping you further.

Cable Management Solutions

Cables are the bane of a desk worker – and with panoply of devices to manage – monitor, printer, keyboard etc. – some desks may become a positive mess of cables. Not only this looks shabby, but it sometimes becomes difficult to track which cable belongs to which device. In situations like these, a proper cable management system may just be the thing that you need to organize your desk.

Desktop Coffee Maker

There is no denying that an office worker will need his/her daily fix of caffeine – in the form of mostly boring and horrible tasting stock office coffee. But really, it doesn't have to be this way – get a better tasting coffee from you’re your own personal coffee maker. You say that your coffee machine is too big to bring to the office? I hear you – and here is the solution – get a desktop coffee maker, which will brew your potion one cup at a time.

Smart TV

A Smart TV will be an ideal addition to a modern, connected office that understands the value of proper communication and information dissemination. Also, a Smart TV is a gadget that can provide the right mix of work and play to the office workers. And if you opt for something like a LG Smart TV, you can get multiple abilities like Skype connectivity, social networking, playback of media files, accessing websites, streaming and sharing of content from laptops – all wirelessly of course.

Ultrabook™: The sleekest avatar of mobile computing

The last few years have been nothing short of revolutionary with the rapid growth of mobile technology as they have transformed from call receiving handsets to Smart gadgets which make your life easier. And the influx of multiple brands in the arena has made for interesting analysis. The same can be said about the constant innovation that has seen an already convenient laptop re-invent itself into a sleek and stylish computing device.

My college days passed by with the dream of owning a laptop one day and during my management studies, a basic yet sturdy Acer Aspire 5560 Notebook which was my true savior assisting me in work for making presentations as well as in research and analysis. And with an inbuilt 500GB HDD at its helm, I had a cool collection of music, movies and sitcoms that got me through those tumultuous two years. The only two major issues that I used to have with laptops is the disappointing battery drainage once a laptop crosses its first six months and the excessive bulk factor that even these portable PC’s haven’t been able to fully negate.

But my view only held its weight till the moment I put my hands on an Ultrabook™. An Intel® proprietary, the Ultrabook™ really is the best laptop you can get your hands on at this moment. It has a cutting-edge design and one of the sleekest form factors. What’s even more engrossing was the fact that it can switch from a laptop to a tablet thanks to its ability to flip, slide and swivel. And another wow factor in the laptop is certainly its touch-based display which makes it akin to users who are now accustomed to touch-screen devices. And I used an HP variant with the i5 processor and the start-up and response speeds were blistering fast as compared to how a standard laptop would process.

And Intel® seem bent on leaving no stone unturned as far as the security is concerned with the supplementary Anti-Theft Technology and Identity Protection Technology on board. And you might find this extreme to acknowledge, but I didn’t feel like working on my own laptop after using the Ultrabook™. This ultra-slim device is superior in all aspects and truly the next stage of mobile computing in my humble opinion. So next time, you might want to strongly consider the Ultrabook™ when looking for a laptop!

Smart TVs in India: Crisis of Acceptability

Smart TVs seem to be the favor of the day – in context of the TV market. Look closely at the recently introduced TV models – almost all have Smart features – and almost all have the tag “Smart TV” attached to them. The TV makers – LG, Samsung, Sony and the other players as well – are introducing more and more Smart TV models – and sparing no effort in marketing them to the users.

Considering a market like India, where the general user is not even aware of the nuances of High Definition, successful acceptance of Smart TVs remains a matter of surmise and speculation. Then how come these multi-billion dollar companies, that have the best market research machinery at their disposal, are insisting on introducing a still more advanced technology? What exactly is amiss in the picture?

I follow a number of India focused tech websites and forums, and almost all of the users their seem to have very “anti” Smart TV stance – mostly out of the belief that the time is not yet ripe for Indian buyers to understand the concept of Smart TVs, and most will not be able to afford it anyway. Some users are more uncharitable in their remarks – and pose doubts as to the very raison d’être of Smart TVs. And mind you, the users on these sites are quite tech savvy. If this is the opinion that Smart TVs inspire among tech savvy users, what will be the case with the general users?

Here is my theory: The Smart TV makers are counting on Indian market to make the same leap of technology that it made years ago – when a scenario of extremely low telephone penetration was almost overnight replaced with a different picture – a cell phone in almost every hand. The Indian market did not follow the global model of gradual increments in tele-density – it made a straight jump from a primitive telephonic system to an advanced system – and the users accepted that. Today, looking at the India telecom market, a casual observer will never believe that a huge majority of cell phone user NEVER subscribed to a traditional landline phone – simply because the infrastructure was not there!

I am sure that a similar scenario is attracting the Smart TV marketers in horde – that the India users – or at least – large, relevant segments of the buying population – will appreciate the virtues of a Smart TV, and back it up with their wallets.

I think there is another development that may give them hope – the dramatic adoption and acceptance of smartphone by the Indian users. It just goes on to prove that the Indian users are savvy enough to understand the importance of latest applications, and use it effectively. Perhaps, the same feat will be repeated in the case of Smart TVs too.

Another reason for the enthusiastic marketing push for Smart TV can be explained by the emergence of the Four-Screen Strategy – about which I wrote in my previous post. The technology market has been certainly prepping up itself towards the goal of integrating the four screens, namely – Smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and PCs. The recent product launches also bear witness to the fact that tech companies are actually implementing this strategy – either consciously or by default.

The 4-Screen Strategy – A Primer

All the latest development in the consumer electronics category seems to be focused in four areas – Smart TVs, tablets, PCs and Smartphones. The signals are all around us – for example, the slew of Smart TV launches and the unprecedented marketing push, or the hugely active tablet market – which is seeing high profile launches by the week. If you have already realized that too, you are witnessing another important technical development of the post-PC era in the making – the emergence of the Four-Screen Strategy.

You might have already figured out what the four screens belong to; these four screens refer to the four devices that are likely to find the most use in the near future, and become the center of the daily information exchange and entertainment consumption. And these four devices are – your Smart TV, Tablet, PC and smartphone.

Rationale for 4-Screens

The traditional computing is changing – as I have mentioned in my previous posts. There is now a growing migration of the computing tasks - from the desktop (and even laptop) PCs to mobile devices – tablets and smartphones. Moreover, some of the tasks performed on PCs – such as social networking or casual gaming, for example – are also moving to a different medium – Smart TVs.

The primary reason of this migration away from PC is not that the PC technology is lagging behind or computers are not sufficiently developed. On the contrary – the PC technology is getting the full benefit of Moore’s Law – and computers are more powerful and capable than ever before. Yet, users are moving away from PCs simply because mobile devices – tablets and smartphones – provide convenience and mobility – and the ability to carry on a number of stock tasks – browsing, social networking, streaming and sharing media files, e-mail and even casual gaming – on a smaller, simpler device. Plus, the emergence of Android and Apple iOS, and the related app ecosystem and the attendant convenience is also something that people have adopted with great gusto, further strengthening the case for mobile devices.

Therefore it is no surprise that some of the technological leaders – Apple, Google, Sony, Samsung, Lenovo et al – have taken a lead in evolving the 4-screen strategy, and are refining the approach with the introduction of every new device – that is eventually leading towards the goal. Let us a take a bird’s eye view of some of these names and what they are doing in this scenario.

Apple

The relentless innovative spirit of the company makes it one of the primary contenders in achieving successful integration of the 4 screens – it already has a strong presence in 3 of the screens – smartphones, tablets and PCs. The Smart TV rumors are picking up – and the presence of Apple in customized smart content (iTunes) and delivery mechanism (Apple Smart TV Box) lend further credence to this chance.

Google

The search giant has the institutional and finance muscle to see a 4-screen strategy through to successful completion. It has already a very strong presence in content (search, YouTube) and delivery network (Android), with a credible presence in PC (through Chrome notebooks), tablet and smartphone category too. However, its repeated attempts in the Smart TV category have been failing.

Sony

Sony has been the earliest purveyors of the 4-screen strategy – as revealed last year in an article – and has been working towards this end. Sony is one of the primary players in the Smart TV category – even though its hold is weakening in recent years. However, it is just a fringe player in the remaining three important categories - smartphones, tablets and PCs even though it strong presence in content delivery through the PS3 network may give it some hope.

Samsung

Samsung is emerging as another strong contender in the achieving fulfillment of this strategy. It is definitely one of the top players in the Smart TV category, and has achieved admirable success in the tablet and smartphone categories. Samsung PCs have also been making strong progress – putting the company at the forefront of the 4-screen movement.

These are not the only companies that are working towards achieving complete integration of the 4 screens that consumers are more likely to use in the future. Lenovo and LG are two other notable names that may come from behind in the near future. For example, LG Smart TVs are in the leadership position, though the smartphone strategy of the company will need some work. On the other hand, LG has a negligible position in the PC market, and is completely absent in the tablet category. Nonetheless, LG is making its Smart TVs compatible with other devices. For example,  LG Smart TVs are equipped with Wi Di – which provide for wireless streaming and sharing of content across compatible mobile devices. Also, the DLNA certification and Smart Share feature provide for seamless integration with other mobile devices and PCs.

Similarly, Lenovo is also present in just one or two categories – so a strong claim in achieving the 4-screen integration is still some distance away. 

Flash Mob as a Marketing Tool

A couple of days back, an interesting video surfaced up on my Facebook timeline. One of my friends shared a video of a flash mob that happened in the Ambience Mall, Gurgaon a few weeks back. Ostensibly, the flash mob was organized by a guy who wanted to do something innovative to propose to his longtime girlfriend – and he found willing accomplices in LG WR Men Greg and Sherlock – who agreed to play modern day cupid. The LG WR team thought up a flash mob and the guy popped the question to his lady love in great style. I saw the video of the flash mob marriage proposal, and despite the cynicism gathered with having seen the world, I couldn't help but feel a bit mushy at the romantic tale! Here, see the video for yourself –

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Flash mobs originated as a fun experiment that was intended as a satire on the conformist norms of the society. A flash mob, by its very definition, is a collection of people who gather to perform a specific task for short period of time, usually in a crowded place, and then disappear as quickly as they had come. This gathering of people is done through social media and telecommunications.

From its early casual character, flash mobs have evolved a long way – and are now considered an important tool for marketing efforts. Quite a few companies and major brands have used the flash as a tool of marketing – perhaps drawn by the social aspect of the mobs. People who gather around a happening flash mob – and those who are not involved in it, are naturally surprised by the sudden burst of activity. This element of surprise is crucial – since it commands complete attention of the onlookers, and any brand message that is conveyed during this has a very high recall value. And since people are very likely to remember the event for a long time, the message will remain in their mind for all that period. The value of this is obvious if you are a marketer.

However, when a flash mob is being used for marketing purpose, the real work starts AFTER the flash mob is over. Such flash mobs are usually recorded – often on multiple cameras and professionally, and a video is created for online consumption. A carefully prepared video has the potential to go viral – creating a valuable publicity tool with wide reach.

On another level, the viral marketing effort is lent further impetus by those people who were personally present during the flash mob event, and witnessed it as onlookers. They would probably record the event on their mobile phone cameras, and share it with their friends over social media websites, thus augmenting the marketing efforts with genuine social sharing. And THAT is the best kind of marketing that any brand can hope to get.