Wechat Mobile App - Review

WeChat India This is the NXT big thing in the Mobile messaging arena.

I am sure most of us are aware of Whatsapp , as it is an unanimous decision by the people to use this app to connect to anyone across the globe.Whatsapp of course was just at the right place and at the right time when the era of smartphones had just begun. Whatsapp doesn't need any introduction, but its  just plain mobile messaging using ur internet connectivity on smartphones, but its just hasn't evolved past 2 years since its inception, it hasn't been keeping up with the trends, maybe they believe in being Simple silly.

Well , now we come to crust of the whole Mobile messaging, there are quite a lot of players in this space, but no one has been as successful as whatsapp which really captured the market space in mobile messaging.

But , AS always, sum where out there at the horizon, has been a lone warrior who wants to take over the world some day, and this is What i would introduce Wechat .

Wechat has 200 million users and it was developed by tencent which is third largest internet company in the world after Google and amazon .

I would draw the lines of Wechat and Whatsapp on the lines of Facebook and Orkut Respectively.

Though Orkut had been in the pioneer of social networking and was the emperor during its time, but now a fallen fortress.even though Facebook was comparatively new when orkut existed, though patience and its idea to innovate and engage the users lead to this creation of the great Facebook to what is it today and i wish and hope to see WeChat at the likes of Facebook Some day.

Now, i have been using wechat for quite some time and this is what i ve inferred from my usage.

i would have a SWOT (Strength , Weakness , Opportunities & Threats) analysis for the same.

Strengths :-

1) some of the USP of the app are its strength such as PTT(Push to talk feature which lacks in whatsapp) Walkie talkie, Video and audio calling(lacks in whatsapp) ,Group chat with max limit of 40(whatsapp is 30) and location based find friend features like Shake.Privacy and enhanced security features.

2)Broadcast messaging , photo and video sharing , contact info exchange.

3) mini games available too

4)wide range of emoticons and emoji and customizable backgrounds.

5) its a complete mobile social networking site by itself, use it to find out more:)

Weakness :-

1) Currently unavailable for blackberry.(coming soon in a couple of weeks)

2) Chinese influence as it been developed by tencent, a Chinese firm.

3) as its a new app, the marketing and public awareness hasn't caught up yet.i am sure, it ll be an app to reckon.

4)Large size of the app might not allow the budget smartphones to use the app without any lag or FC.(a lite version is expected)

5) migrating from Whatsapp to wechat might take time based on the mindset.

Opportunities :-

1) ever growing base of smartphone users.

2) users expect lot more than just messaging and PTT and audio/video message will enhance the users to communicate through the app rather than the traditional Calling.
The app delivers much more than just mobile messaging, its a fun and addictive app.

3) lots of untapped market and its horizons to expand is enormous.

Threats:-

1) lots of new players in the market.

I would end this review of the app by quoting, "Wechat" is definitely a app to look for and its a must app for any kind of usage, be it social, private etc.It can even we used to transmit vital information and notification to a set of people/students in a college using the group chat and Broadcast messaging.

The features are all there,its upto you to utilize it to the max extent.

Whatever said and done, the best way to review or judge an app is by reviewing self. so do try it out and i bet you wont be disappointed.

SAMUNG IS GIVING APPLE A TOUGH TIME

It seems like Samsung is firing all cylinders

GHOST RIDERS!

As always been passioniate towards gadgets and gizmo rather than cars and bikes, though my friends are great bikers, their pep talks about these deathly machines does give me agood insight on both bikes and cars.

Infact i did even have the previlage to go on a drive on Mercedes AMG c63 on indian roads. wow, the first super car i ve ever been in:)... mind blowing if i say the least. Check out the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIkUkXc7wtE

Though i dont own a super bike/ or a really fast car.but i do have a lot of escapades with bikes, i am a pretty smooth driver, but as the situation arises, i can be rash to be polite ;).

One of the best bike rides has been part of the IBA(iron butt association). wherein 2 bikes(royal enfield bullet 350 & 500 respectively)  took up the challenge to ride 1000 miles in 24 hrs approx 1600 kms.

It was a helluva of a ride to say the least. as we planned the route to be Bangalore -pune -bangalore , 1732 kms in 24 hrs and yea , we started @ 2.30am on a saturday morning on oct 2011 . this was one of my first night ride, though wasnt riding a bike.. we were following my friends by i10. 2 bikes and 2 cars . it was a really tedious ride. we did have quite a few glitches in between and the time constraint and the weather in maharasthra wasnt helping the cause, but as true fighters, we did come out victories and it s still an unforgettable tale.

www.facebook.com/CastrolBiking

Google planning competitor to Apple’s Siri voice assistant

Siri, Apple’s much touted and talked about voice assistant may soon have a competitor! The ‘voice’ of the iPhone 4s could be upstaged by Google, who are reportedly in the final stages of developing their own voice assistant for Android.

“Assistant’ is set to go beyond Siri in many ways, most importantly in that the search company will retain complete control of all the layers involved.
It will be able to tap Google’s powerful search engine for knowledge and integrate Google services like Gmail, Google+, and YouTube, making it easier than ever to do anything on your phone.”
Unlike Siri, Google will open Assistant’s API to developers so they can incorporate it into apps and websites that they develop for the Android marketplace. “Further adding fuel to this rumor fire, Google applied for a patent that sounded quite a bit like Siri a few weeks ago.”

Apple iPad 3 expected on 7 March following press event

Apple has announced an event on 7 March at which the company is expected to launch its latest iPad tablet.

Invites sent to journalists read: "We have something you really have to see. And touch."
While not officially confirming the product's launch, the message was accompanied by an image showing what looked to be an iPad touchscreen.
The iPad range, which first launched in 2010, has sold over 50 million units worldwide.
It is not yet known when the new device will be available for sale.
Last year, sales of the iPad 2 began in the US nine days after the launch announcement - which also took place in March.
Apple's first two versions of the iPad transformed the market for tablet computers and made it one of the fastest-growing sectors of the computer industry.
Patent woes However, recently Apple's dominant position in the tablet market has been challenged by a string of tablets powered by Google's Android operating system.
Later this year, industry experts expect a new category of tablet devices powered by Microsoft's forthcoming Windows 8 operating system.
Microsoft will announce details for the consumer versions of Windows 8 at an event in Barcelona on Wednesday evening.
The tablet market - just like the smartphone market - has been subject to intense patent wars chiefly between Apple and its key challenger Samsung.

MWC 2012: Nokia demonstrates 808 Pureview with 41-megapixel camera

Nokia demonstrates a new smartphone, the 808 PureView, which has a 41-megapixel camera and is expected to launch in Europe in May.

The Beam is the first mainstream phone to directly incorporate projector technology, which has become increasingly common on top-of-the range compact digital cameras cameras.

Photos and videos can be viewed on any flat service, and Samsung claims the 15-lumens projector is even useful outdoors.

Samsung Galaxy Beam projector phone launches

So-called pico projectors have long been slightly too big to incorporate into mobile phones. At 12.5mm thick the Beam is slightly larger than other models, which are sometimes under 8mm, but well within the range existing phone consumers routinely purchase.

It features a 5MP camera, and runs Google’s Android 2.3 software on a 1.0GHz dual-core processor. The projector is run through a dedicated application, and the phone features a large 2000mAh to cope with some of the extra demand.

The Beam announcement was one of the first to be made at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, where the largest phone companies demonstrate their forthcoming products. Samsung has already announced that its widely anticipated follow-up to the popular Galaxy SII smartphone will, however, be announced at a separate even later in the year.

BSNL aims at Aakash

BSNL on Friday announced it would bring three tablets in partnership with Pantel, a company based in Noida. Of the three, the cheapest one will be sold for Rs 3,250, a few hundred rupees more than the commercial version of Aakash tablet.

The 7-inch tablet - BSNL Penta T PAD IS 701R - is powered by 1ghz processor and comes with 256MB RAM. It has a resistive screen and runs on Android operating software. The tablet will be sold along with special data plans and 3G services from BSNL.

The two other tablets are priced at Rs 10,999 and Rs 13,500. Both have capacitive screen, which has better touch sensitivity. These two tablets are also made by Pantel. Pantel website shows that the company has started a prebooking for all three.

BACK TO THE BLOGGING ARENA

Well , After my short stint  with my website (www.techmacha.com) last year.This year, i ve decided to go easy on my domain and use the free hosted blogging service instead of paying for one:) (worked too expensive 4 me!!!!) .

So , i am back with the same ol thing i used to do with techmacha and a lot more!!!.