|In: Android|Last Updated: | 3 Comments

How many times do we complain to others about the potholes, poor maintainance of parks, dirty roads, endless constructions nearby our area but have found no solution rather than cribbing about it. This article does indicate that the Indian government is spending good amount of money for the making the roads better  !!! Also, it does make a difference when many people “shout out” about the same issue rather than one person talking about it… Well in such situations VocalBee , an Android/iOS based app can come to your rescue.

VocalBee is a “Location Based” app that uses the strength of crowdsourcing to empower the user to do just one thing i.e. “BE HEARD“.  Be it sharing feedback about good customer service at a nearby restaurant, to complaining about the bad condition of roads or complaining to the government authorities about street lights etc., VocalBee helps you to close the circle i.e. it ensures that your query/complaint/feedback reaches the right destination 🙂

VocalBee has three target segments:

  1. Consumers – Provides a platform to voice out their opinions/suggestions/complaints & ensures that it reaches the right destination so that the consumer can keep a track of the same.
  2. Government – Helps them to cater issues raised by the consumers & keep them informed about the progress of their issue; which in turn would help to reduce the overall cycle time.
  3. Businesses – Acts as a collective medium to take “Honest Feedback” from the consumers which would help them to improve their service & in turn get more business.

Installation

I installed the app on my Android device as well as on my iPod Touch & installed without any hassles. Now we would walk through the features of the app & it’s usefulness.

Startup Page

The “Introduction” page explains the complete idea behind the app and how it would be useful to the users as well as for local businesses.

Usage

With VocalBee, you can either submit an Idea, Question or Feedback. Just like other location based apps like FourSquare, VocalBee shows the list of the nearby places for which the user can submit either of them.

There is an option to click a photograph and attach it to your query which also acts as an evidence of your problem. I posted couple of issues e.g. endless construction of roads nearby my apartment & many people did give a “thumbs up” to the issue & this is where the real power of VocalBee can bee seen i.e. Community Involvement.

Social Media Integration

VocalBee does a good job of integrating Twitter & Facebook through which users can share their “queries” on these Social networks. The UI is clean and makes the app very easy to use. The user also has the facility to keep a track of their queries online through the VocalBee website

Final Verdict & Suggestions

I have been using VocalBee for few weeks & it looks a great tool where you want your unattended issues to be solved & that is the power it gives to the consumers !!! However, there are a couple of suggestions –

  1. Photos taken real-time can only be attached to your query/suggestion/complaint which means the App does not allow to “attach” an already taken photo from the Media Gallery. This feature would really be helpful in cases where you have already seen a problem but forgot to submit the complaint to VocalBee. Also, problems can be seen at any place & at anytime !!!
  2. The life-cycle of the query was not very clear for eg. If I file a “complaint” for potholes against my local authority; to which department the complaint has reached i.e. the flow of the query from “new” -> “In Progress” -> “Closed” can be made a bit transparent.
  3. A further extension could be allowing the users to post “Videos” as well in which case, VocalBee would act just like a Citizen Journalist for consumers 🙂

VocalBee can be downloaded from the Android Market from here. You can also download it on your iPhone or iPod Touch from here. Do give VocalBee a spin and share your feedback in the comments section…

|In: Bangalore|Last Updated: | 17 Comments

It has almost been around a month since my last article and it was time to get along with my blogging and here [Courtesy- Indiblogger] is the “appealing” reason which motivated me to get back to it !!! So, as you might have already guessed, I also thought of giving a shot to the “Samsung Blogger’s Contest”  & if this entry wins, it would be a privilege to be one of their “Mobilers” 🙂

Before, we get into the review; I want to share that my first brush with Samsung Galaxy Tab 750 [henceforth referred as “Galaxy Tab 750”] which happened at the Best Buy store during my Visit to US in June,2011. Though, I had already purchased the killer beast Apple iPod Touch but Galaxy Tab 750’s amazing experience left me aghast and wanting for more [Unfortunately, I could not purchase it due to budget constraints]. So, here comes my hands-on review [which I had for half an hour] with this amazing piece of beauty named “Samsung Galaxy Tab 750“

Android 3.1 [Honeycomb]

As we know that Android 3.1 is the tablet optimized version of the open source operating system – Android. Though there were several enhancements made for tablets, the top one on my list is definitely the “UI Enhancements“. Below is a comprehensive Google IO presentation which touches every nook & corner of Honeycomb [Slides:17-22*] over it’s predecessors.

Now the question which arises is that the “Samsung Galaxy Tab 750” is not the ONLY tablet with Honeycomb, there are many other alternatives like the XOOM, Asus Transformer, Acer’s Iconia etc but the points below would prove that “Samsung Tab” is a clear winner …… so read on ……

Impressive Specs

IMHO, any “Embedded” device is nothing but a “Board with components like registers, capacitors etc” if it’s processor [CPU] cannot handle enough load. After looking at the Galaxy Tab 750’s specifications, the only thing that would come out of your mouth is WOW !!!

The Galaxy Tab 750 is powered by the Nvidia Tegra-2 1GHz processor which runs on the “Dual Core ARM A9”, and even when I launched multiple applications;there was not much change in the performance. As you read-on, you would realize it is not second generation TAB from Samsung but a new avatar of it’s predecessor “Samsung Galaxy Tab 7“

The complete specs can be found here but here are my favorite picks –

Weight – 595 grams.

Display– Size : 10.1 inches

Color & Resolution : 16 Mn & 1280×800 Pixels

Faster Processor – Nvidia Tegra 2 Dual-Core 1GHz Processor

Expandable Memory – micro-SD card slot expandable upto 32 GB [though the USB adapter has to be bought separately 🙁 ]

Browsing – Flash support

Image Courtesy Gadget Technology News

Design, Design & Design [all the way]

Design is the key to anything, be it website or consumer product like a tablet & this time around, Samsung has definitely gone head-to-head with Apple[termed Design Guru] and won us over with Galaxy Tab’s sleek design.

As specified above, the Tab weighs just 595g and it is just 8.6mm thick which makes it a easy & lighter device to carry when we are on the go!!! It has become a routine that whenever a tablet is released [be it the bottom of the Pyramid tablets like latest Reliance 3G Tab or the most popular one in the higher range Apple iPad2], it is always compared to the iPad2 … so here we go with our comparison…

Samsung Galaxy Tab 750 with iPad2

Image Courtesy PC World

Here goes my feature list on where Galaxy Tab 750 wins over iPad2

Samsung Galaxy Tab 750 Apple iPad2 [Wifi Only]
Operating System Android Honeycomb 3.1 [Ideal for Google User’s] iOS 4.3.3
Processor 1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 with ARM Cortex 9 CPUs 1GHz dual-core Apple A5
Internal Memory 1GB RAM; 16GB flash storage 500MB RAM; 16GB flash storage
Display 10.1” (diag); 1280×800; 149 ppi 9.7”(diag); 1024×768; 132 ppi
Battery 7000mAH 3.7V Li-polymer [Bigger Battery, more life] 6930mAH 3.8V Li-polymer

In a nutshell, for any heavy duty user of Google Services like Gmail, Reader etc., the Galaxy Tab 750 is definitely a better pick as it comes bundled with all of those services !!!

IMPROVED TouchWiz UX [for TABLETS]

Samsung has always been using it’s proprietary “TouchWiz Interface” for phones like Samsung Galaxy S2 & it’s other Android phones. But like many others, I did not like the TouchWiz experience on my S2.

However,  Samsung has made an extra-ordinary effort and customized it’s TouchWiz interface for tablets… and boy, it looks quite amazing & intriguing on the Samsung Tab 750.

Below is a short video from our friends at GadgetExperts reviewing the new TouchWiz UX

There are many enhancements made, but here are my favorite picks :

Mini Apps Tray – There are six tools on top of any running application namely Task Manager, Music Player, Calendar, World Clock, Pen Memo and Calculator. The tray would fade out once when you are using the main application and would again re-appear when you tap on it.

The list of apps however is customizable and I am sure this change would definitely be there in Samsung’s To-Do list…

Motion Control Zooming – This feature is more of fun and a very nice alternative to Pinch & Zoom [Video: 5.15 – 5:45]. Just click a photograph and move your Galaxy Tab 750 back & forth to experience this feature 🙂

I am sure that apart from the features which I liked the most, the Galaxy Tab 750 would definitely provide me with BETTER:

  1. Web Browsing
  2. Speed
  3. Reading
  4. Music
  5. Communication
  6. Office
  7. Multimedia
  8. Imaging
  9. Accessories
  10. MUCH BETTER ME …..

I would like to share the Galaxy Tab 750 India’s launch video, enjoy it 🙂

Thanks for reading the review & making it this far 🙂 I hope you liked the review and had a “TAB”bing experience just as I had writing the same…

|In: BigRock|Last Updated: | 6 Comments

Finally, I am back with blogging in 2011 !!! With the number of internet users expected to reach 237 million by 2015,  it has become a medium which is hard to ignore. No matter the nature of business e.g. selling home made chocolates, sweets etc. having at least,  a “Minor” web footprint is required.

If you are a business, looking for a web presence  you have BigRock to your rescue. BigRock is a part of the Directi group of Businesses which is mainly targeting the Small & Medium Businesses (SME) & individuals. They offer the following services:

  • Domain registration
  • Email services [Anti-Spam & Anti-Virus services]
  • Web-hosting services
  • Website builder products
  • E-Commerce Solutions
  • Digital Certificates

Good Services are “Best” when they are coupled with ROCK bottom prices and that is what BigRock promises to offer. You can get a website at as low as Rs. 99 !!! They promise round-the clock support and while writing this article, I gave it a try 🙂 To my surprise,  support was even available at 10:30 PM on Sunday, chat transcripts below [click to enlarge]

The exchange with their customer support department made me very happy since they deliver what they promise !!! As a reader of this blog, we have “Rocking” offer from BigRock awaiting for you…

  • Up to 50% discount on Hosting, Email and Do-It-Yourself Website builder  products.
  • 10% discount on all other products.

    • To avail this fabulous offer [which is only valid till 28th February,2011]  just head to BigRock and use the coupon – thoughtsprevail . Along with their service, I even liked their advertisements that are appearing frequently on TV, the best of the lot is the one below

    If you are availing this offer, it would be great to hear from you about your experience with BigRock… just drop an email to himanshu.sheth@gmail.com 🙂

    |In: Entrepreneurship|Last Updated: | 2 Comments

    In this article, we speak to Max Aengevelt, co-founder of UK based startup myhomepage. Here Max shares his thoughts about the company, it’s core offering as well as his insights on entrepreneurship.

    Can you give a small background of you and your start-up and its founders?

    My name is Max Aengevelt. I am one of the two co-founders of myhomepage. I am a recent graduate of European Business School of London; the other co-founder is Massimo Agostinelli who still attends EBSL. Massimo originally had the idea for myhomepage together with his younger brother when working on his Apple Macbook. The way your windows can be displayed all at the same time is something that really inspired Massimo. Why not be able to view the web like this? Myhomepage is a personalized homepage, online password manager and bookmarking service that users can use as a start page. We are particularly proud to have an auto login capability that allows you to automatically login into your websites. From the original idea of being an interactive start page, we have really grown to be a one stop shop to start your online browsing. Myhomepage is a personalized start page.

    There are lots of other competitors. What do you see are your strengths and weaknesses compared to them and what the future is like for these services? What is the USP of myhomepage over competitors?

    There are several players in this market and we have analysed every single one. Therefore we can say with confidence we have the most complete product. To begin with we are not a widget based news aggregator, nor are we a pure bookmarking website. We offer a lot of different features that make it safer and easier for the user to navigate the web. 70% of websites require a username and password to fully operate the site, myhomepage is place that lets you organize these websites and automatically access them through our auto login feature. I personally would not be able to use the web without the clarity myhomepage gives me. One of our main competitors or alternatives is browsers. Browsers also allow you to store and organise bookmarks as well as passwords which are two of our main features. However, unlike browsers we are online. This means, wherever you are you will be able access all your favourite bookmarks and logins at any time and from any computer using any browser. Also browsers are not a safe place to store your username and password, someone could steal or hack your computer. And unlike other password managers, you do not have to download anything or pay for it. We use a patent pending technology to safely encrypt your account and passwords.

    Secondly, as mentioned before, we are well aware of our competitors and no other service offers all the features we offer in one place. There are competitors offering one or two of our features but no one else offers them all in one place. Furthermore, it is designed with a simple, clean layout. We have a lot of great features which make using the website fun – we use thumbnails to display bookmarks, have a unique auto login feature, have drag and drop functionality, bookmarks are organized by tagging, you can import bookmarks and you can easily email bookmarks to your friends. Adding up all these features, myhomepage is a product that stands out from the crowd! Furthermore, ‘myhomepage’ is a great name and brand and one that is you can easily relate to and most importantly trust.

    (more…)

    |In: General|Last Updated: | 2 Comments

    During our childhood days, all of us would have read about “Hare & Tortoise” fable. The famous lesson from the fable was “Slow & Steady wins the race” however, most of the times; the first mover advantage holds true [except in some cases like the Apple iPod !!!]

    It is a universal truth that “Teams always win” hence, the term “I” carries less weight age than “We” since, “I WILL NEVER WIN” only “WE CAN WIN”. The presentation below, which is an updated version of the old fable gives an excellent insight into Teamwork

    1. Never give up when faced with failure
    2. Fast and consistent will always beat slow and steady
    3. Work to your competencies
    4. Compete against the situation, not against a rival.
    5. Pooling resources and working as a team will always beat individual performers

    |In: General|Last Updated: | 12 Comments

    This article is the result of an email forwarded by a friend of mine and after reading the email, I was sure it would qualify for this blog :). The email was about the learnings of Dhirubhai Ambani, founder of Reliance narrated by his close friend A.G. Krishnamurthy of Mudra Communications. Inspired by the characteristics of Dhirubhai, Mr. Krishnamurthy coined the term “Dhirubhaism” , which consisted of the insightful lessons from Dhirubhai. Some of the inspiring Dhirubhaism’s are mentioned below:

    Note: “I” in the article refers to Mr. Krishnamurthy. “He” refers to Mr. Dhirubhai.

    Roll up your sleeves and help

    You and your team share the same DNA. Reliance, during Vimal’s heady days had organized a fashion show at the Convention Hall, at Ashoka Hotel in New Delhi.

    As usual, every seat in the hall was taken, and there were an equal number of impatient guests outside, waiting to be seated. I was of course completely besieged, trying to handle the ensuing confusion, chaos and protests, when to my amazement and relief, I saw Dhirubhai at the door trying to pacify the guests.

    Dhirubhai at that time was already a name to reckon with and a VIP himself, but that did not stop him from rolling up his sleeves and diving in to rescue a situation that had gone out of control. Most bosses in his place would have driven up in their swank cars at the last moment and given the manager a piece of their minds. Not Dhirubhai.

    When things went wrong, he was the first person to sense that the circumstances would have been beyond his team’s control, rather than it being a slip on their part, as he trusted their capabilities implicitly. His first instinct was always to join his men in putting out the fire and not crucifying them for it. Sounds too good a boss to be true, doesn’t he? But then, that was Dhirubhai.

    Be a safety net for your team

    There used to be a time when our agency Mudra was the target of some extremely vicious propaganda by our peers, when on an almost daily basis my business ethics were put on trial.  I, on my part, putting on a brave front, never raised this subject during any of my meetings with Dhirubhai.

    But one day, during a particularly nasty spell, he gently asked me if I needed any help in combating it. That did it. That was all the help that I needed. Overwhelmed by his concern and compassion, I told him I could cope, but the knowledge that he knew and cared for what I was going through, and that he was there for me if I ever needed him, worked wonders for my confidence.

    I went back a much taller man fully armed to face whatever came my way. By letting us know that he was always aware of the trials we underwent and that he was by our side through it all, he gave us the courage we never knew we had.

    The silent benefactor

    This was another of his remarkable traits. When he helped someone, he never ever breathed a word about it to anyone else. There have been none among us who haven’t known his kindness, yet he never went around broadcasting it.

    He never used charity as a platform to gain publicity. Sometimes, he would even go to the extent of not letting the recipient know who the donor was. Such was the extent of his generosity. ‘Expect the unexpected’ just might have been coined for him

    (more…)

    |In: India|Last Updated:
    In this article, we have speak to Neeraj Jhanji, founder & CEO of Japanese company ImaHima. Here Neeraj shares his thoughts about the company, it’s products as well as his insights into entrepreneurship.
    Can you give a brief introduction about yourself  ?
    I am an Indian who spent 15 years in Japan and currently living in Sweden. My professional interest is to create innovative web and mobile applications.
    What does ImaHima mean  and what is it exactly into  ?
    ImaHima in Japanese means “are you free now?” and is the name of a mobile location-based social-networking service created in 1999 by my Japanese company ImaHima. ImaHima pioneered the concept of sharing current status [location, activity, mood] among friends using mobile phones.

    Since then,  I have built several other internet services and my latest project is Colabolo, which is a light-weight issue-tracking software for small teams.

    Can you give an insight into your flaship product Colabolo  ?
    Colabolo grew out of my own needs for a better way to manage the tasks and communication within my company. Email is very flexible tool but lacks organization and sharing. Excel or MS-Project have structure but no communication. Colabolo is a communication & collaboration tool that fits somewhere between email and project management software. It is perfect for simple task delegation and assignment between team members.

    Compared to other software in this category, it is much simple to use and integrates with email so it can automatically create tasks from incoming email. It can reduce the volume and clutter of email. You can find a 40-second video demo of Colabolo here

    Who are the target customers for Colabolo ?
    Colabolo’s current feature set is useful for freelancers and small-medium size teams.  It is ideal for teams that collaborate using computers or mobile phones sharing a large volume of tasks that need to be completed.

    (more…)

    |In: Design|Last Updated: | 1 Comment

    Design has always been one of the key aspects of any product. It is one of the foremost reasons why consumers want to grab a glance of the beautifully designed Apple Products. This also holds true why all of us love Gmail !!!

    While reading about Design, I came across an interesting presentation that highlights it’s various aspects which can be split in four stages

    1. Approach
    2. Rapport
    3. Desire
    4. Commitment

    I am sure you would really like the presentation just as I did.