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Showing posts with label Innovation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Innovation. Show all posts
Sunday, May 25, 2014
GoPro Hero3+: Your Adventure Camera

GoPro Hero3+: Your Adventure Camera


Known to be the smallest and lightest camera, GoPro has been one of the most popular cameras today. With its capability to withstand extreme conditions, its great wide angle lens (unconditionally genius anytime) and other features geared for versatility and convenience, GoPro is a must bring device for travelers and adventure seekers like I am.

This year, GoPro has released their latest action camera – The Hero3+ which offers a better image and HD video quality, only smaller, sleeker, and lighter.


The GoPro Hero3+ has three editions–the white, silver, and black which comes with more accessories included in the package. These include a waterproofed housing that withstands 40m submergence, a 3-Way pivot arm, adhesive mounts useful on course activities, and a whole lot more.

GoPro Hero3+ has also a number of upgrades over its cheaper siblings. One brilliant addition is the WIFI remote control which lets you operate the camera in distances without touching its buttons.  It allows you to control 50 cameras simultaneously within a range of 600 feet. Plus, with the GoPro app installed, you can even set it to various modes. With a built-in WiFi hotspot or access point, you can connect your camera to an Android or iOS device. Sweet!


On top of that handy feature, the latest version of GoPro is screaming with an improved image quality. It has higher resolution of 12MP, a little higher than the Silver edition’s 11MP and White edition’s 5MP. When taking pictures on a fast moving setting, the Burst rate feature comes in very useful. The Black edition’s maximum burst rate is three times higher than that of the Silver edition’s 10fps which gives you a maximum of 30 consecutive frames per second. For those who don’t require quite so much speed, the Black Edition has 3fps, 5fps and 10fps continuous shooting rates.

Sound quality is as important as image quality. The Hero3+ Black edition features upgraded audio performance, capturing even the most delicate of sounds—whether you’re documenting voices, music or the splash of water on a spirited dive in the sea. 

Another feature of GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition is the time-lapse mode, where the camera can be set to shoot at 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, and 60-second intervals. It all adds up to plenty of scope and flexibility.

Of course, the majority of people looking to purchase a Hero3 will probably be much more interested in its video capabilities than its still image prowess, and here again, the Black Edition enjoys a distinct advantage over its two supporting models. While the Silver and White editions support a maximum resolution of 1080p at 25fps, the Black Edition can capture 1080p Full HD video at 50, 48, or 25fps in PAL mode and 60, 48, and 30fps for NTSC capture. Furthermore, 720p recording can be captured at 100 to 50fps PAL or 120 - 60fps NTSC, which enables smooth slow-motion playback of high-def. movies.

So if you’re a person who travels a lot and loves adventure, the GoPro Hero3+ must always be on your backpack. GoPro has already improved its battery life to last 30% longer. It will be your partner in capturing your meaningful experiences. Whether it’s surfing, sky diving, bungee jumping, biking, or racing, the GoPro has got you covered. You can bring it to places and occasions you’d normally think your usual cameras would not survive. (Reginald Agsalon) FOCUS
Posted by Focus Newsmagazine at 11:44 AM 0 comments
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Monday, May 5, 2014
Google, IBM results raise questions about other tech-sector companies

Google, IBM results raise questions about other tech-sector companies

Disappointing results from Google Inc. and IBM may unnerve investors shaken by a strong recent sell-off in tech stocks, underscoring the challenges the Internet and IT sectors face as corporate report cards come due in coming weeks.

The two companies, both barometers of their respective industries, posted March-quarter results on Wednesday that missed Wall Street's revenue targets, and their shares fell in after-hours trade.

IBM blamed weak hardware sales for its lowest quarterly revenue in five years, worsened by an 11 percent slide in overall sales in emerging markets including China, Brazil, Russia and India.

That spells trouble for other tech companies reliant on enterprise-spending, such as Oracle, Cisco, EMC and Hewlett-Packard, which report results this month or next. Like IBM, they have struggled to grow their businesses, particularly in China, whose economy is down-shifting after years of hyper-growth.

Enterprise spending in general has been on the wane for traditional computing giants as corporations and even governments increasingly turn to software-as-a-service (SaaS) and other cloud offerings instead of maintaining their own in-house technology infrastructure. Many, including IBM and Oracle, have been left behind by smaller, younger rivals as spending goes toward emerging areas like big data, cloud and cyber security.

"We're seeing a lot of traditional technology vendors struggle," said FBR analyst Dan Ives. "You're seeing spending go away from big-bang projects toward smaller, more modular types of deployments, which speaks to why a lot of SaaS players are doing well. Customers want to buy just the drink rather than the whole bar."

Google's and IBM's poor results on Wednesday may do little to change investors' sentiment following a recent drop in tech stocks. Since early March, the tech-heavy Nasdaq index has fallen over 6 percent.

Mobile ad worries
With the latest results factored in, including IBM and Google, tech earnings growth estimates for the quarter have fallen by roughly two-thirds since the start of the year, according to Thomson Reuters data.

On January 1, as the first quarter got under way, analysts on average predicted tech earnings would grow by 7 percent. But now, as first-quarter reports trickle out, analysts on average expect growth of just 2.4 percent, according to the data.

That also marks a deceleration in tech profit growth from the fourth quarter, when it totaled 10.3 percent, but it is an improvement from 2013's first quarter, when tech profits shrank by 1.2 percent.

In Google's case, investors initially pummeled the stock in after-hours trading after the world's largest Internet company reported its miss, plus a drop in margins as cost-per-click, or the average price of an online ad, slid 9 percent.

The shares rebounded after CFO Patrick Pichette attributed that profitability decline to a spike in expenses partly because of its $3.2 billion acquisition of home automation pioneer Nest last quarter, which tacked on a raft of payroll and research costs.

More broadly, the three largest Internet corporations – Google, Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. – have each grappled with advertising on mobile devices, where the growth is currently concentrated, and where smartphones with smaller displays typically command lower ad prices than on desktop PCs.

For investors in Google, accustomed to the company enjoying one of the highest ad margins in the business, mobile ads have translated to a steep drop in ad rates. The transition has been less jarring at Facebook, which once relied almost exclusively on low-margin display or banner ads.

Twitter, which had difficulty monetizing its 140-character stream-of-consciousness messaging model, is catching on with TV advertisers because of its growing position as a "second screen" to accompany TV viewing.

"People are trying to adapt to a new delivery system which is mobile," said B. Riley & Co analyst Sameet Sinha. "It is a challenge for most companies, and it's going to be here for the next couple of years." (Source: Reuters) FOCUS
Posted by Focus Newsmagazine at 2:27 AM 0 comments
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Saturday, April 19, 2014
Tourism and Technology

Tourism and Technology

(Kamruzzaman Ratan/Getty)

Travel and tourism has long been proven to be one of the most stable industries in the entire planet. It has been rising steadily with 25 million international tourist arrivals in 1950 to over 1 billion in 2012 – a quarter of this number belonging to Asia Pacific, according to the UN World Tourism Organization. This, supported by UNWTO research, is expected to rise by 3.3% every annually until the year 2030, with market share of the emerging markets, including the Philippines, to have doubled by then.

In the local scene, the Philippines received a whopping 4.7 million international tourists in 2013, despite the calamities that beset most of the Visayan region in the second half of the year. This is according to the Department of Tourism, who added that this number has even surpassed last year’s tourism arrivals by 9.56%.

The same study by the UNWTO also estimates around 5 to 6 billion domestic tourist movement around the world. The international body also stated that 1 out of 11 jobs today are tourism-related.

It is without a doubt that the advancement of online technology played a hand in the tourism industry’s rise. Airline companies and hotels post promotions and huge discounts on their websites that are updated everyday. Booking accommodations and tours have been made as easy as a simple click of a button.

The proliferation of Internet-enabled mobile devices, as smartphones and tablets, has also played the same effect. A 2012 Google/Ipsos/Sterling study indicated that travel planning is one of the most popular cross device activities.

More recently, 80% travelers use the Internet for planning their travel, versus 28% who used informational brochures, and 14% who relied on travel agents, based on a multi-option study question in June 2013 by research company Ipsos.

Travel websites and even personal travel blogs have even gained a share of the tourism spotlight, as these provide more personalized information that appeal better to certain readers. Events such as blogger conferences and food and experiential tours also abound these days, as providers of travel and tourism products and services have now learned to leverage on the Internet’s power to drive more customers to their business.

With the globalization of information, tourism providers without an online presence are often left out in the dark. But even without a website, hotels, restaurants, resorts, and the like can take advantage of online crowdsourced resource sites such as TripAdvisor, where a potential tourist can look up advice and recommendations from fellow tourists.

Technology has also played a big role in making prices more competitive. Two newcomers who have revolutionized travel accommodation include AirBnB (bed and breakfast) and CouchSurfing.org. AirBnB has provided a singular online booking platform for smaller accommodation institutions like hostels, inns, and even your own spare bedroom! Couchsurfing on the other hand, provides a large member directory of travel-minded individuals who are willing to provide even the humblest of sleeping conditions (such as a couch, hence the name) to the more adventurous travellers.

If you are part of the tourism industry, be it a small walking tour service, to a large chain of hotels, here is a useful infographic for you to help keep visitor loyalty.

(with data from UNWTO, Philippines Department of Tourism, Google, and Ipsos)
Posted by Focus Newsmagazine at 11:06 AM 0 comments
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Content Marketing, Your Virtual PR Boss!

Same with businesses, public relations is a key ingredient. Big companies appoint positions for a good PR manager, who occasionally might fluctuate in quality labor, thus, influencing the company’s coup.

A good PR manager can connect you with consumers in ways that you might never be able to do on your own. However, provided with the Internet’s convenience, and prevailing characteristics, the way how the world of businesses works has been positively changed.  In the previous issue, my article “Content is King, If You Can Manage It!” discussed about the significance of content in building connections with your prospects, and how to close the deal. True to the growing population of dependent consumers on the Internet, social, and mobile technologies, the demand for relevant content had surely continued to grow apace.

With this new paradigm at hand, businesses have begun to appreciate the role of online content marketing. Its functions include prospect tapping, and brand establishment. To take full advantage of this opportunity, businesses need to generate relevant online content that must accomplish the following for their target audience: Inform, Trust, and Solve.

Inform
Online content marketing should inform both potential and established customers about your brand, satisfying any of their questions and concerns about your products and services. Your specific clientele will likely to connect with you on a business level if you are able to carry out this procedure.

Trust
Would you trust a company that you know nothing about?  Not possible. Online content marketing can be your bridge to connection with your consumers. No one wants to enter into a business relationship with a company that is shrouded in mystery – unless if you intend it that way, but then again, who shall know? In the real world, it’s not unusual for a PR manager to send out press releases, and tackle questions about your company which is the typical approach.  However, your online content marketing is all about building trust and intimacy with your target audience through need fulfillment. That is a sure win if you know what to do with the tools in the marketing arsenal.

Solve
When a consumer connects with a brand, it’s often for the reason of solving a problem. Your prospects are searching online to find information that will settle an immediate need, or possibly a need to transpire in the future.  By providing them online content that is relevant and applicable to their wants or needs, you are giving potential and established customers the reason to form a deeper connection with your brand.

Good thing, with the extensive reach of the Internet, you can readily taste success by creating your own committed PR manager with online content marketing.

Louie A. dela Vega is a PR consultant at Communicasia PR, a Pangasinan-based public relations firm that specializes in brand/product PR.  Its spheres include investor relations and tourism promotion, public affairs and government relations, and technology public relations. For information, visit fb.com/CommunicasiaPR.
Posted by Focus Newsmagazine at 10:44 AM 0 comments
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