Sina Weibo App - Weico

Since I started my Sina Weibo, its been quite a ride, I guess its geographic circumstances... but everyone I met here in Beijing has a weibo account and instead of asking my mobile number or email, they asked for my weibo ID.

Thanks to my good pal Foniz, which has been cruising on weibo for a lot longer than I do. He shared with me this really cool weibo app - Weico and I have to say after using it, I really don't want to use anything else.

To start with, here is the list why I like it:
  • Design wise its really clean and not straight clones from Twitter or Sina weibo own's iPhone apps.
  • Got lots of different themes, my favorite is the Fish Eye, cool sleek soothing blue.
  • If you are already following someone on weibo, you can easily use the "@" sign to mention that person, instead of manually typing it (which sometimes result in typo).
  • The pound or hashtag is not there yet as the function above, hopefully it will be soon and it should include the latest trending topics.
  • The built-in lomo camera effects, pretty much like Instagram, but different (so again not straight clone).
  • If you've been categorizing the people you follow into lists or groups, then this is the right app as you can filter out streams now by groups.
  • Built in check-in location, you can either use your geotag or sync via JiePang.
  • Best of all it's free, you can download it here :)

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Dianping LBS Review

Couple months ago I did a simple note on Dianping LBS service for iPhone, I finally got a chance to try it out.

As Dianping large user base and directory are based on restaurants, naturally good eats are the main search that you can look via your GPS near you or via the map.

Checking in is easy, you can also give a quick review 1-5 star rating on the atmosphere, food or service. You can also check if the restaurant gives online coupons to Dianping users. Dianping already have their Groupon deals launched, so I'm assuming next is integration with their location service. Currently their mobile app version supports iPhone, Nokia, Android and WAP version.

I do hope that Gowalla or someone would integrate all of these service together, currently I am using JiePang, RenRen LBS, Gowalla, Foursquare and Dianping is my recent addition so you can imagine when I arrive into a restaurant or a new venue, I spend quite a moment standing and checking in hehe :)

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JiePang Meets Foursquare and Instagram

JiePang has just recently upgraded their mobile apps, I felt its more like JiePang meets Foursquare with their latest photo taking capability, plus Instagram effects on applying different filters. I noted the capability of searching a deal base on your closest location, as well as groupon type of offers. You can also see the weekly and overall leaderboard scores. The also provides HTML5 version for other mobile platforms, its interesting to see how far JiePang has come considering the company was founded just last year.

According to JiePang official statement "Jiepang is pleased to announce that we have now pushed out the ability for users to take pictures while checking in. Furthermore, our English application is far more in depth. If you are using an iPhone, please take a moment to update the application on the app store."

About JiePang
Founded early 2010, Jiepang (http://jiepang.com) is the leading location-based social network in greater China region, headquartered in Beijing with branch offices in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Taipei. Users use Jiepang on their mobile Internet phones to "check in" at venues, allowing them to share their location with friends. Jiepang users can also collect virtual "badges" for checking in at special locations. Some of these “badges” are redeemable for real-world rewards such as special offers and discounts. Today, Jiepang continues to develop the service for its users, and has already partnered with brands, including Starbucks, Nike, McDonald's, Budweiser, and others, to promote location-based social lifestyles.

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Renren Location Check-in

Just downloaded Renren latest iPhone app update, it includes recently mentioned new service - location base check-in.

An overview:
- The icon looks familiar (see marked in orange).
- It lists out the location nearby your area, I have not been able to see how you can add new location.
- Currently the check-in only feature simple check-in with message, share with your friend and who has been there.

They are also planning to combine this service with deals and Groupon type of promotion in the near future.

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iPhone App: by Hotels for Travelers

There is around 100,000 iPhone app going around the Apple iTunes world, I'm mentioning a few that I've noticed has been growing ever so largely - from hotel industry.
A lot of them has either of this common functionality - look & book for hotels, using GPS to locate the hotel and photos/videos info of the hotel. But some does stand out from the rest, have a look below (this does not represent the whole collection just yet as there is just far too many apps as you know it).

Individual Hotel App
Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo
The app mentions a special rate and gift if users book via the app, this is a great incentive for users to use the app. Although it is an individual hotel, instead of the whole hotel group. Aside from that the app offers the standard map, what's around the hotel, photos, etc.

Show what games is available, how to play, entertainment schedule with video intro of the show, nightlife activities and the humongous hotel map (you'll need it for sure).

Integration with Aria Facebook & Twitter page for sharing, geo targeted content with special rewards, players online club to win prizes and full service hotel directory where you can call the hotel services (not that I imagine you'll be using that a lot). Quite an interesting and fun to have app.

Standard book the hotel with exclusive breakfast if you make the reservation from your favourite iPhone, it gives map, photo and video of the hotel, as well as Chicago city. Here's something for news update they pull it live from Twitter.

Hotel Group App
Here is something different - 100 cocktail recipes from different Renaissance hotels from around the globe, you can shake your iPhone for random cocktail you can show to your fav bartender, you can also share it via Facebook or Twitter to your friends or email it. It shows hotel location, how to get there via GPS and of course booking hotel room instead of the bar seat.

Peninsula Hotels (worldwide)
Standard look for hotels, map, photos and booking.

Holiday Inn (worldwide)
Standard look for hotels, book, check points and store hotel booking details.

Hilton Hotels (worldwide)
Standard look and book for hotels, check HHonors point.

Accor Hotels (worldwide)
Standard booking, hotel location, photo and videos, as well as checking your loyalty rewards points, as well as checking using preferred code.

Priority Club Rewards by IHG Hotels
Offers standard GPS hotel location map, hotel photos and bookings; but with one click you can dial the hotel direct instead of browsing more pages, you can also access Priority points.

Again the app offer standard booking, hotel photos; but the difference is capability of viewing member points, upcoming stay and browse thelobby.com blog site for latest insight. Note there are several individual hotels from Starwood launching their own individual hotel app, so might be worth checking if you are staying in one of them.

Sol Melia Hotels (worldwide)
A very basic simple app of pulling data from the website on looking for hotels, information and book.

The app offers standard global map hotel location, beautiful photos and booking capability.

Embassy Suites (worldwide)
Standard book hotel, photos and GPS map. You can request whatever you want in advance before your arrival through the iPhone.

Waldorf Astoria (worldwide)
Look and browse through the hotels, photo, amenities provided and make booking. The app is displayed in landscape mode.

Conrad Hotels (worldwide)
Standard booking, hotel location and photos. A unique feature of highlighting what is different in each Conrad hotels.

Fairmont Hotels (worldwide)
Book the hotel feature, learn surrounding via GPS, provide driving/walking direction, access to Fairmont loyalty point and check latest travel packages. You can also take a picture, upload and share it on Fairmont's own dedicated social media site.

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Mobile Talk: Nokia World 2010, will it hold?

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Nokia is finally making their move at the #nokiaworld 2010, after management and brushing their mobile to appear "upgrading". Have a look at this review by Gajeto. I've test drive several of Nokia touch screen before and it still feels sluggish, notice whenever you tilt to use the horizontal keyboard the screen goes black first (just don't leave a smooth transition feeling for me). I used to own several Nokia (pre-2004 I believe, if I am not mistaken they were the first to push the antenna-less mobile), but I felt lately their product has not yet make a breakthrough in innovation.

The overall Symbian OS feeling is like copying iPhone, I mean up until iPhone the mobile market has been going round and round in the same circle and pretty much the same model. Post iPhone, everyone was pushed by the full screen usage, still if they copy each mobile producer can't compete with the Apple OS system compressed at the palm of your hand. That combined with their MacBook or iMac system and MobileMe that just push and sync everything ever so smoothly makes our lives easier, no more disintegration. The first iPhone was not only revelation to the phone industry, but opens up a whole new door of app developers, a mobile that ever so changing customized to the users experience and what they want to do with it. Pre iPhone everyone's mobile were always the same, you get the basic, text message, snap photo (still no sharing, you can share via MMS), record video or audio, some basic game and others, but it never changes until you get a new mobile for the "upgrade" features.

The fact is most mobile never bother with an all integrated environment with the computer and cellphone software updates is basically a never... up until now :)

Welcome to the world where it revolves around our integration and our constant demand for upgrade immediately and not waiting (and forking out $$$) for the next "better" product.

iPhone: Another Operating Issue

Just after the antenna issues has been "resolved" it seems that the popular phone is now under the gun again.
A recent article on the Hong Kong most read newspaper - South China Morning Post headline reads "Is Hong Kong so humid it could wreck your iPhone".
Hopefully this doesn't happen to either you or me.

Let's take a step back first and see how much market share does iPhone garner for the Asia market:
Hong Kong - 56%
Singapore - 62%
Taiwan - 39%
Philippines - 12%
Thailand - 9%
Some of the countries above relatively feature high temperature or humidity.

I did some research in comparing with other phones operating temperature, unfortunately not all phone list their complete operating temperature, humidity and altitude (Apple did a good job at this if you go through their spec before getting the product). Some manuals only feature a phrase "Keep the device dry. Precipitation, humidity, and all types of liquids or moisture can contain minerals that corrode electronic circuits". This reminds me a few years ago of an article mentioning a recently released tech (forgot what product it was) and that a user were not able to use it on-board of a plane and a recent reply mentioned that above a certain altitude many high-tech device particularly screens or certain type of LCD would not function properly.

Luckily the chatter on Twitter has not pick this one up, I've only managed to find two discussions regarding iPhone humidity, will start a hashtag with #iPhonehumidity to see how fast this can pick up.

Hopefully the Apple Asia team will pick this up and address it soon.

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Mobile Advertising: How well will the iAd performs

I was amazed by Steve Jobs presentation on the iAd advertising platform for iPhone. It is true that some people want to have great apps on their iPhone, but don't want to pay the expensive price. So the only obvious answer to it is sponsored apps with advertising. The banner doesn't really bug you, but the right ad design can definitely attract you. The clicks is the NOW of advertising, you measure traffic, capture data and motivate purchase; all part of creating the continuous cycle of integrated marketing.

Look at the iAd sample for Nissan and the continuous interactivity and for the finale is the capture; a soft selling approach, letting the customer to play around. I admire the ad that it really showcase a brand empowerment in educational way.

But the bigger picture is that mobile advertising is moving with the growth of technology, how it is a lot more economic, people are spending more of their time online on the way, BB, iPhone, Android, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, etc all of these mobile are tapping so hard into the network. Now comes along iPad which with the current sales growth will just increase more mobile Internet users.

According to Search Engine Land on the switch from Google Mobile Ad to iAd "the agency’s concerns ultimately were overshadowed by recent developments in the market, most notably a move by Apple Computer Inc. – the maker of the iPhone – to launch its own, competing mobile ad network."

There are strengths in number:
For China market, where the are 140 million of China Unicom subscriber and 384 million online (stats from end of 2009), which is half of Asia Internet population.

With the iPhone priced as premium product and a lot more expensive (around CNY 6000 with contract), we are talking potentially an already qualified market of high-end customers that can afford iPhone, as it is considered as a premium luxury brand in China.

By 2011 China is forecasted to have at least 738 million of mobile phone subscriber, if the Apple and China Mobile deals go ahead, it can really potentially open a lot of door for marketer in the field of advertising. As everyone is just mobile these days.

I know the spend of advertising has started to shift slowly but surely towards online, as marketer wants and have to stay ahead of technology and current development. Companies are shifting their budget towards 60-70% online.

I guess we need to look at the segment share of mobile operating software and the generations growth, as it is a lifestyle choice. I mean if you look at the iPhone 4, it hit 600,000 on one day of it's pre-sell order. I guess supply and demand still is the base for any of us.

How much would the online advertising or advertising will shift if Apple really penetrated the mobile world?

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