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Holiday shopping: online and in your face

gizgastore — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 23:54:07 -0700

If you think Internet shopping is a hassle-free environment overseen by invariably polite computers, you probably haven’t done much of it, writes Froma Harrop. Online merchants have mastered the science of getting in your face

They don’t like the crowds, the traffic, the parking chaos. They dislike the sameness — the same mall chain stores piping in the same holiday music and selling the same made-in-China sweaters, whether in Spokane, Indianapolis or Raleigh. They stress out when waiting for someone to take their payment. Small wonder that 45 percent of consumers are doing at least some holiday shopping this year via the Internet, according to the Deloitte consulting firm.

But if you think Internet shopping is a hassle-free environment overseen by invariably polite computers, you probably haven’t done much of it. No one escapes. Online merchants have mastered the science of getting in your face

Case in point, I looked at a shoulder bag on Amazon.com. Checking the dimensions and color, that’s all. Now when I do a Google search, up comes an ad for the bag. I look for amusing quotes by Theodore Roosevelt, and there’s the bag. I check out some items on eBay, and the bag’s there. Two questions: When do they give up, and how can you make them go away? The answer to the first is, “I don’t know.” The answer to the second is, “You can’t.”

Google, Facebook and the rest shadow your wanderings online, gathering information to sell tailored ads beamed back at you. Very scientific and a bit creepy to those who haven’t totally surrendered yet on matters of privacy.

Buy undies at Victoria’s Secret, and the salesperson asks for your email address. Your inbox fills with intimations that the store has your number on lingerie. Look at a Lego V-wing Starfighter online, and some computer assumes that you buy presents for a boy between the ages of 7 and 12.

Email messages now wave hysterical discounts in your face — 40 percent, 50 percent, 65 percent — with the proviso that you perform certain tricks. You may have to spend $250 by 11:30 p.m. tonight, Central time.

Meanwhile, actual shopping on Internet sites, like through catalogs of yore, is not without its glitches. If the scarf bought in a romantically lit department store doesn’t look so hot in the cold daylight, you can lug it back. Online sellers have more sophisticated means to make cheesy merchandise look amazing. And your web browser’s idea of the color “forest heather” may not match your ideal.

Of course, you can ship stuff back. The good online merchants make that as easy as possible, but you still have to put the item back into the container, reseal it, put a sticker on and, in many cases, bring the package to a post office or other shipper, where the lines may be even worse than at the department store. Meanwhile, if there’s a problem with the order that requires human contact, good luck to you.

For many, shopping remains an entertainment, and the holiday crowds add to the joy. Understanding this, some strictly online retailers are beginning to open physical shops so that people can touch, see and try on the wares.

Bonobos is an example. Once so militantly cyber that its founder gave a speech predicting the end of apparel stores, Bonobos now concedes that a guy other than the male model on the webpage might want to check its cotton chinos for size. He might also like to see how orange “burnt ochre” really is.

The unpleasant aspects of Internet online shopping may not bother you, and let me say in honesty that I find the online assault more amusing than irritating. But anyone who promotes online shopping as the cure for holiday stress must have greater skill in disposing of Styrofoam packing materials than I do.

Apple Tests Several TV Designs – Report

gizgastore — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:44:18 -0700

While it is not a secret that Apple is working on own-brand TV-set, the progress of the development is completely unclear. If some analysts expected the first Apple televisions to hit the market in late 2012, the company continues to test various designs of the forthcoming products, according to a new report.

Apple is working with “component suppliers”, presumably with Foxconn Technology Group, to test several designs for television sets, people familiar with the situation told the Wall Street Journal. Foxconn has been collaborating with Sharp Corp. on the design of the new television for a number of months, something which may mean that the TV-set from Apple will utilize screens based on IGZO technology.

"It is not a formal project yet. It is still in the early stage of testing," one of the sources is reported to have said.

It is noteworthy that this is not the first report about Apple’s “testing” of the forthcoming televisions; hence, the actual stage of development is completely unclear. The company is known for designing multiple versions of its products and testing them internally, before crafting the final version that will be available commercially. As it appears, Apple has been testing TV prototypes for several years now.

This year Foxconn gained partial control of Sharp’s TV panel plant in Japan and is rumoured to acquire TV assembly factories from the company in different parts of the world. Theoretically, Foxconn may be interested in panels as well as production capacities to make TVs for its largest client. At the same time, it is not a secret that Foxconn also makes TVs for other companies, including Vizio, hence, its interest in appropriate manufacturing capacities may not be Apple-related.

After Steve Jobs himself announced plans for an Apple TV-set family, it makes no sense to deny that the company is working on one. However, in its usual manner, Apple never discusses any kind of details about its products before they are launched commercially. One of the things that have been confirmed is that Foxconn Electronics, Apple’s main contract manufacturer, had started to make preparations to produce iTV products. In fact, Foxconn is in talks to acquire Sharp's TV assembly lines in several countries.

Nobody knows what exactly is Apple TV-set and how competitive it will be in the light of emerging smart TVs with stereo-3D support and other technologies like cloud video game streaming. Like a lot of Apple's products, it may become a major success for the company and will transform the whole market of TV-sets.

One of the main features of Apple's television set is projected to be an ability to quickly search for content from numerous sources, including Apple's own iTunes. Given the fact that the user experience should be integrated, this feature alone presents a number of challenges. In order to provide unique capabilities and simplicity, Apple TV will likely integrate iCloud, Siri along with motion sensing support for content sharing and control purposes. In a bid to be able to control the TV using iPhone, iPad or iPod, the TV will be compatible with Apple's AirPlay technology.

The main intrigue behind Apple’s TV-set is when does the company plans to finally roll it out.

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Apple ripe for China interest

gizgastore — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 18:27:50 -0700

THE big winner from the iPhone 5's arrival in China is the country's smartphone buyers. On Thursday, China's regulator approved the iPhone 5 for launch on China Telecom and China Unicom's networks. A potential market of 132.8 million 3G subscribers on the two networks should boost Apple's iPhone sales, which came in at 26.9 million units world-wide in the third quarter.

It also underlines the challenge for Apple in the China market. In the past, the wait for the launch of new products generated a frenzy of anticipation. Customers queued overnight to get their hands on the latest model. But with only incremental improvements in the iPhone 4S and 5, its possible patience has started to wear thin.

by:Gizga

Samsung takes aim at Japanese rivals with Android camera

gizgastore — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 01:07:22 -0700

South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung Electronics Co is taking aim at its Japanese rivals with an Android-powered digital camera that allows users to swiftly and wirelessly upload pictures to social networking sites.

The Galaxy camera lets users connect to a mobile network or Wi-Fi to share photographs and video without having to hook up the camera to a computer.

While it's not the first to the market, Samsung's financial and marketingclout suggest it could be the biggest threat to Japanese domination of a digital camera industry which research firm Lucintel sees growing to $46 billion by 2017 and where big brands include Canon Inc, Sony Corp, Panasonic Corp, Nikon Corp and Olympus Corp.

"Samsung has a tough row to hoe against the likes of Canon and Nikon in the camera brand equity landscape," said Liz Cutting, senior imaging analyst at research firm NPD Group. "Yet as a brand known more in the connected electronic device arena, Samsung has a unique opportunity to transfer strength from adjacent categories into the dedicated camera world."

The Korean group, battling for mobile gadget supremacy against Apple Inc, is already a global market leader in televisions, smartphones and memory chips.

Samsung last year brought its camera and digital imaging business - one of its smallest - under the supervision of JK Shin, who heads a mobile business that generated 70 percent of Samsung's $7.4 billion third-quarter profit.

"Our camera business is quickly evolving ... and I think it will be able to set a new landmark for Samsung," Shin said on Thursday at a launch event in Seoul. "The product will open a new chapter in communications - visual communications," he said, noting good reviews for the Samsung Galaxy camera which went on sale in Europe and the United States earlier this month.

AIMING AT 'PRO-SUMERS'

The Galaxy camera, which sells in the United States for $499.99 through AT&T with various monthly data plans, features a 4.8-inch LCD touchscreen and a 21x optical zoom lens. Users can send photos instantly to other mobile devices via a 4G network, access the Internet, email and social network sites, edit photos and play games.

The easy-to-use camera, and the quality of the pictures, is aimed at mid-market 'pro-sumers' - not quite professional photographers but those who don't mind paying a premium for user options not yet available on a smartphone - such as an optical, rather than digital, zoom, better flash, and image stabilization.

The appeal of high picture quality cameras with wireless connection has grown as social media services such as Facebook Inc drive a boom in rapid shoot-and-share photos.

"At a price point higher than some entry-level interchangeable-lens cameras, the Galaxy camera should appeal to a consumer willing to pay an initial and ongoing premium for 24/7 creative interactivity," said Cutting.

By: Gizga