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Top phone players in the US
Would you like to know how the previous year ended? Are you curious as to know who is crowned as the king of sales for 2015? Well… sit back and relax and read all about the top phone players in the US!
It seems like 2015 was the most diverse, interesting and challenging year, bringing a whole lot of competitions and enabling also other small scale phone companies to test the waters and see if they can make it safely to shore, pleasing all clients and managing to offer fairly priced cellphone deals.
In the US, however, the last year managed to resurface the competition between the two top players, namely Apple and Samsung. It has been noted that 87 percent of postpaid sales were registered by these two at the most significant four phone carriers, according to the analysis undertaken by BayStreet Research. Whilst everyone else is struggling to get as much share of the market as possible (including brands such as ZTE, Huawei, Nokia or HTC), they sadly only remain in the 13% of the U.S. mobile market. The situation is different in other areas of the globe, where we see HTC simply rising to the top, as well as Alcatel or LG. According to recent interviews of Counterpoint Research, such brands do not need to focus on the US presence to survive or to take a real test of independence and profitability. However, this area is extremely beneficial for development.
How to bring competition back to the cell phone consumer market? Well…once this duality dims and once people look for other price over quality devices or learn to make the difference between the brand and the technology, the other players in the field can bring their A-games. However, consumers do not get the chance to benefit from an extended area, as so many postpaid phones are sold via carrier stores with a harsh finance plan. We can only wait to see what 2016 brings…
Top 5 ‘back to school’ gadgets anyone would like to own again
We all know how it was like when we were in high-school or general school and there were so many new and noteworthy devices we simply begged to have. However, times have changed and ultra-modern phones, smartphones and ingenious tablets have taken the spot and made us forget about those neat gadgets that are now history. The pre-teens and teens nowadays have no clue what a Nokia 3410 looks like or how cool you were if you had a Sony Ericson T700 (Remi). Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and see which the best ‘back to school’ gadgets were that absolutely anyone would like to hold in his hand again:
- iMac G3 – this is a gadget that only made us think the future will bring. Having
been predicted by ‘Star Wars’ and breaking the mold at that time, this iMac G3 looks cool and trendy, yet no one seems to remember that it came as early as 1998. Yes, this all-in-one personal computer was available two years before the start of the new millennium and came in red, blue or teal.
- Game Boy– who didn’t simply adore the interesting, cool and downright useful ‘toy’
? Being created by Nintendo and made available in September 1990, this wonderful 8-bit video game device was the very first console teens, pre-teens or mature adults came to love and became addicted to. Having a processor similar to an Intel 8080 and requiring 6 V DC of at least 150 mA, it was part of the fourth generation of gaming and rose to popularity immediately after appearing in stores. Worldwide, it was sold to more than 110 million people!
- Nokia 3310– Released in late 2000, the Nokia 3310 was a much desired mobile phone w
hich enabled you to play the famous Snake game (plus Snake II, Bantumi, Pairs II, or Space Impact) and had songs which were back then considered ‘appealing and cool’. Despite not offering colors (the display was solely green), this phone was the best of that time, offering basic features, like Predictive text input, Smart messaging, voice dial, calculator, currency converter or mobile chat for SMS. It came with NiMH 900 mAh battery (BMC-3) and GSM technology.
- Polaroid Camera– being pioneered by Polaroid Corporation, this infamous self-developing film using camera was always present in the best moments in people’s lives (in 1950’s and all the golden years following that period, that is). What is definitely true to state is the fact that this user-friendly camera was the first commercial instant camera which became quite affordable to the masses. Feeling old yet? If not, check out the next ‘back to school device’:
- The Walkman– Ah, smells like the teenage years which only focused on being the popular kid in the parking lot and which seemed to go by so quickly. The Walkman was a revolutionary device which enabled you to play your cassette tapes, as well as fast-forward or rewind the songs on them. Manufactured by Sony, this device appeared in the late 1970s, requiring only either one gum stick-type rechargeable battery or an AA battery.
Brand new messaging app
Have you found out about Peach yet? This represents a new amazing application which has the aim to replace WhatsApp and enable all users to efficiently communicate with one another and get the chance to spread their ideas, catch up, joke around after a busy day or text in a fast manner everything that counts. Bursting into the scene and being described as the new and noteworthy messenger-style platform with great features, fun functionality and user-friendly technology, this app is created by the mastermind behind video app Vine, Dom Hoffman.
This new social interactive messenger called ‘The Peach App’ can help you distribute content using ‘magic words’ and share a song, look for a funny GIF to send to your best friend and even use the ‘Draw’ option in order to post a sketch of yours and grab the attention of your buddies. What is more, your friends can ‘rate’ your work of art and send this notification in less than a couple of seconds.
Posting short updates is as easy as one, two, three and you can benefit from a whole lot of interesting things. Should you require inspiration for updates and posts, then Peach enables you to tap a light bulb to get new and noteworthy ideas. Refreshingly fun and extremely easy to use, this app is sure to get in the big league, competing with Facebook Messenger (founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has recently announced that it has reached 800 million monthly users) or WhatsApp, another Facebook property which brags about having over 900 million users, or, why not, other significant instant communication applications, including BBM, Kik, Viber, WeChat) and a series of challengers, such as WowApp, Yahoo Messenger or Telegram). Some specialists and tech enthusiasts claim that Peach will become the new Twitter, as it is much easier to use and the latter social media platform founded 9 years ago seems to have hit a bit of a bumpy road.
Newspaper folding TV
During the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, the most interesting and interactive business consumer technologies international gathering set to open communication between tech enthusiasts and to put forth the means for innovators and specialists to uncover their masterpieces, LG, the renowned phone manufacturer has just enabled the world to get a glimpse into what the it can be like to watch the news or your favorite show on an ultra-modern flat screen TV. How can the viewer experience be so special, you may ask? Well… let’s put it this way: After you are done for the day with sports and extreme games, fashion shows or cooking challenges, you can get up, fold your TV and walk away from the living room. Yes, you read correctly! The TV presented by LG at the convention produced by the Consumer Technology Association or CTA can be folded and wrapped, just like a magazine or map.
The screen of the TV is so flexible that you can literally bend the corners, roll it up nice and tight and store it away. However, you must use a single direction, as if you flatten it out completely, it stops working and its circuits might break. Furthermore, you might be interested to know that it has a lot of ‘dead’ pixels in the display, at the first glance appearing to be damaged, yet they simply show a tiny empty square. What is more, it measures 18 inches from corner to corner and is a trial product, as the engineers and specialists from the aforementioned brand hope to be able to create a display which can be as large as 55 inches (thus offering a screen quality close to five times the power of a high definition TV).
The LG product is merely a prototype (the timing to release such a device for commercial use is still not defined), yet it shows us how close the future (with its cutting edge technology, simplicity in human life thanks to devices and gadgets, flexibility and easiness, as well as level of increased comfort) it actually is.
New trend in mobile world
It seems like, up until now, we managed to see it all. However, grab your popcorn, sit back and watch what the tech world unfolds, as the next big thing regarding cellphones and mobile technology seems to have arrived. Curious already?
Well… you should note that the trend is quickly shaping up the whole phone charging process. You can now be able to recharge your phone wirelessly. Yes, you have read correctly! You no longer have to sit by your phone and recharging fuse long hours, drive yourself mad for misplacing your cords or rushing to the next tech shop in order to buy a recharger in case yours has stopped working. Now you have the chance to set you and your phone free from this procedure you and all phone users despise.
This trend involves carefully placing your device on a flat surface and leaving it until the battery is fully charged. It is so simple, yet so convenient that your daily chores and tasks (either at your home or at the office) will seem much lighter, due to the fact that you will not be dependent on a wire or limit a conversation with your colleagues or customers just because you cannot sit comfortably and talk at the same time. You can now send power to remote locations and be carefree when recharging your device.
Some of the phone manufacturers which have already passed on the positive side of device recharging are: Nokia (now being known as Microsoft), Sony and Samsung. It has been predicted that by 2020, namely 4 years from now, the wireless power market will grow to an impressive amount of $11.8 billion dollars in revenue, worldwide. Huge, isn’t it?
Most ‘premium’ of premiums
We all know that there is a fierce battle between premium brands, like Apple and Samsung, yet each and every one of us can safely declare that none of our friends possess what is called a Vertu. And it’s not just because its name is so mystical or exotic, it’s because it is so expensive and so exclusive that we didn’t even encounter the occasion of even discussing about such a belonging, much like a Ferrari. But, to be fair, Vertu is a premium and luxurious brand which only produces iconic styling and incredibly pricy phones. Surprisingly enough, it has been manufactured by Nokia at the end of the 1990s.
According to Vertu official website, the cellphones are created ‘with the most exquisite materials and cutting-edge technology’. Exquisite is, indeed, the right term to describe such cellphones. And why is that? Well…simply because, in addition to providing customers cool and optimal performing gadgets, this brand also gives them the opportunity to pull out true fashion items from their purses, pockets or backpacks. Made in Church Crookham, Hampshire by specialist phone manufacturers, Vertu phones are generally lightweight and made with vulcanized rubber, leather, aluminum or titanium cases. The Vertu Signature device, for instance, is created using stainless steel. To put again the ‘fab’ and over-the-top ‘precious’ mobile communication instrument’ elements into focus, Vertu has even made a few devices in collaboration with Ermenegildo Zegna, highly renowned Italian fashion house, the infamous Ferrari or Lapo Eduard Elkann, direct heir of the founder and CEO of Fiat Automobiles.
All of Vertu’s devices cost thousand dollars, benefitting also from round the clock personal concierge service (this is available anywhere, at a single touch of a button). Ah, and one more thing, some of the Vertu mobile devices have rubies or other precious stones…in case you didn’t see that coming.
Best Budget Smartphone on the Market Now
We all like to think that our device is as good as one can get, that it has 
the best possible features, it works at an optimal level and cannot possibly let us down. However, what happens when we discover that our phone is not exactly running for any awards and more and more devices take its spot in the flashlight? We cannot have it all, can we?
With so many choices on the market (yet similar devices with similar functionality), thousands of brands, millions of smartphones from so many companies from all corners the globe, one may start feeling a bit lost. Which one can combine the best features, yet still cost a fair amount of money? Which cell phone can satisfy our needs, yet make us aware that we made a smart decision and not get us in debt?
According to recent research, it has been shown that the best budget smartphone is no other than Motorola Moto G (3rd generation). And why this phone in particular? You will find out briefly…
The newly released Motorola is a great choice for those who do not want to become extravagant shoppers, spend money recklessly or wastefully and not feel like they made a practical and smart decision.
Rocking all-day battery, amazing 13-megapixel camera, geo-tagging, autofocus, HDR, face detection or panorama features and coming with Android OS v5.1.1 (Lollipop) operating system (which can be upgraded to Marshmallow (v.6) and cutting edge-technology, this budget phone also has active noise cancellation with dedicated mic, document viewer properties and photo or video editor. Furthermore, it is backed by a Qualcomm MSM8916 Snapdragon 410 Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 processor and 16 GB internal memory (plus an additional card slot of up to 32 GB). Lightweight and modern, one of Motorola’s best phones on the market nowadays, this smartphone is also the best deal you can find.
Best music apps for 2016
Since everyone loves music and loves being able to fulfill different tasks while listening to a nice song and get the energy level up, thousands of apps have been created which enable you to sync the best hits of the season, listen to the same kind of music or, on the contrary, mix it up a little in order to hear different genres and see ex
actly what is your coup of tea. Such music applications or song playlist generators are ideal when you wish to set the mood for a studying session, workout, bills verification, party, family reunion, simple gatherings and so on and so forth. Out of all the new and noteworthy software or music broadcasters, which can satisfy our needs the best? Let’s take a look at the most popular and efficient music applications which you can download as easy as one, two, three.
- Pandora– a popular Internet radio source and music software popular to an older crowd, this app enables you to find new songs that you will surely love based on your ‘history’, meaning that, without creating an account, this personalized radio can design custom web radio stations based exclusively on your old or current preferences in music.
- Spotify– founded over 9 years ago by Martin Lorentzon and Daniel Ek, this Swedish commercial music streaming, podcast and video provider can stream music and create playlists for all users in the US, Oceania and Western Europe. Providing access to millions of songs, this music app has two streaming tires, namely Spotify Free and Spotify Premium (price is about US$9.99 per month, but can vary according to state or period of time).
- 8tracks.com– Having a logo resembling the infinite symbol and suggesting a state of music listening and music loving for a prolonged period of time, 8tracks.com has been launched in August 2008, designed by Remi Gabillet and David Porter. These two envisioned a portal which can combine radio, music synchronization and categorization with social interaction. Users can stream playlists (based on their favorite genre or current mood), create their own playlist by simply signing up and following the easy steps online and also benefit from social networking. Being offered many great reviews, 8tracks.com has a subscription-based service, 8 tracks plus, yet you need to know that its features are still developing.
Best mini Android phone
One of the best mini phones around which has been released quite recently is Sony Xperia Z5 Compact. Priced at around $600, this ingenious device can be handled very well due to its small size and light weight (4.6 inches, approximately 68.9% screen-to-body ratio-and 138 grams). Therefore, it fits perfectly in any small seat or pocket in your car, extra small purse (clutch or even wallet). Released in October 2015, it comes with a surprisingly good camera which enables you to take very good shots and edit your photos or videos before uploading them to your social network accounts.
Being also water resistant (for up to a total of 30 minutes), this great device runs on Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop), planned upgrade to v6.0 (Marshmallow) and Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 processor. What would be important to note is that this phone has many noteworthy functions, including HDR, video check quality, panorama, geo-tagging, active noise cancelation with dedicated mic, face detection, document viewer, ANT+ support, MP3/eAAC+/WAV/Flac player, Fast battery charging: 60% in 30 min (Quick Charge 2.0) and so on and so forth.
Like its predecessor, the compact phone is loaded with optimal features and resistant battery, yet has a rather blocky design which is a bit robust, lacking the fine look of other flagship portable body devices. It has an expandable storage (32 GB, 2 GB RAM and also comes with a card slot of up to 200 GB. The Xperia Z5 also has a non-removable Li-Ion 2700 mAh battery which can enable simple functions and talk time to up to 14 h 50 minutes. All these features and characteristics make the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact a smart choice for Android users.
First Network To Test 3D Touch Ads
3D Touch ads are being tested by Instagram, the popular online mobile photo and video sharing service used by 400 million monthly users. These commercials use an interesting tactile function, which enable users to apply added force to their clicks in order to swipe between numerous photos. Such ads are still in the testing, as well as development phase, yet it has been expected that these will become ‘the future of advertising’, as e-commerce has gained a lot of ground lately and is, of course, anticipated to grow at an exponential rate in the future. The 3D touch capability is a new interactive way for customers to look at products, get their ‘real’ feel and access information about them instantly. Toggling between shopping deals and offers in the fastest way possible is the novelty and the advantage of such ‘tactile’ functionality.
To be more precise, such ads will run online or on the mobile page of your Instagram, not opening up like intrusive banners that have caused a lot of dissatisfaction to the users, yet, instead, they will appear in your ‘Feed’ (taking also into account your interests and likes), storing all the information in the ad format. This method is certainly expected to boost the number of sales for any item or service, making shopping more frictionless, as you will not have to look for the ‘shop now’ option or get redirected to a website in another tab, yet view the item and then swipe to get more info and details, as well as tap to see other offers as well.
Since Instagram has becoming more and more interested in the features of 3D touch ads, it has started (quite early on) to develop a vast array of ad formats, investing also in targeting. Also, taking into consideration the fact that Facebook owns the photo and video platform, there might be a chance for users to see in their timeline such ads and ad formats. And things are moving fast, so who knows when and how early we can swipe through photos of new and noteworthy products?