Finally, after months of waiting Android users will ***soon*** be able to become part of the Instagram community. For the longest time, iOS users enjoyed the exclusivity of the most popular photo sharing app for the smartphone. Perhaps the reason why Instagram took this long, I surmise, has to do with the fact that there are just so many different types of camera hardware on Android, making it harder to scale as compared to iOS where you only have to develop for the iPad and iPhone. But then again, that didn’t stop other app developers to create their own Instagam-like apps for Android.
Sorry. No need to post a photo of that ice cream here because you all know what it looks like, thanks to the Internet.
I’m here to share a story. And some thoughts.
That Magnum ice cream in the Philippines is not new. I’ve been eating that for dessert for more than two years and the brand should be familiar to others (as from what I see on Twitter) because small grocery stores would carry it straight from other countries Filipino Recipes. Heck, Magnum was even around when I was in middle school (this product was released in the early 90’s). I would delight in it because there was a particular way I would eat it — since it had a thick layer of chocolate, I’d strip the bar naked of its chocolate covering then attack the ice cream proper and this feat of dexterity would perhaps be 80% of the novelty as to why I enjoyed eating it. I bought it for PHP 30.00 – PHP 35.00 if I remember correctly.
Fast forward to today. So I was out of the social media scene for about 2 weeks (I was busy getting married!). A few days before I went dark, I noticed a number of people post photos of a familiar ice cream brand on Instagram. I was delighted to hear that the product was now available locally (there was no doubt in my mind it was exactly the one I’d always get) so I nonchalantly went to 7-Eleven and bought one. Filipino Food Recipes It tasted exactly the same. And it was delightful. And I would think nothing about it afterwards. Why? Because it’s freakin’ ice cream, dude!
Whenever I walk into a 7-Eleven these days, I feel like all eyes are watching as I make my way to the freezer to grab a few bars to stock in my fridge at home. I open Twitter, and people are talking about it like it’s the worst thing ever made. Like how it’s a rip off. Like how Cornetto or Pinipig Crunch is much better. Frankly, I don’t care: on some days I want Cornetto Filipino Recipes. Other days I want Magnum. Sometimes I don’t have ice cream because I just had coffee. It’s the rewards of democracy that allows me to make mundane decisions like this everyday.
I want to enjoy my bar of ice cream in peace and not be subject to the amalgamated opinions of social media judging my every bite. And that blissful innocence was stolen, just recently.
I read an article yesterday about how the Philippines (as well as other countries in Asia) are pushing for an All-Asean VISA pass for foreigners. It’s similar to a Schengen VISA, but applied to Asia so that it unites then entire Asia in terms of tourism. After reading this, I hopped on to another announcement that’s in a different field altogether but still relevant by principle.
Last week at the Samsung SEA Forum, our very own Ariel Arias announced a new line of SMART TV’s (and I really feel bad because it renders my two 40″ Samsung SMART TV’s obsolescent!) but alongside this he also announced a new service called Viki Premiere which will debut in South East Asia. Essentially, Viki premiere is a subscription-based service exclusive to Samsung allowing all Asean neighbors to download and watch each other’s popular “Jewel in the Palace” tele-novelas (Korean, Filipino, Chinese, etc) and they will have respective subtitles and / or dubbing in each country’s language.
Why is this epic?
It is a powerful statement to go for digital downloads. The Philippines (and the rest of Asia) absolutely needs its own digital distribution system for music, movies and other forms of entertainment. We can’t default to iTunes because they have Western-focused content. What about Asia?
It is contextually brilliant as it brings together the rich pop culture of all the nations in South East Asia, pushing them to compare, improve and discuss their shows in a one stop digital platform.
Because digital distribution is sexy
Although they didn’t go into detail about how this will work, it appears that the service will be tied into their new line of SMART TV’s (I’m not sure if the previous models will be able to avail of the upgrade but theoretically, they should). In addition, Samsung has revamped its AllShare platform turning it into its own Cloud-based sync platform. This allows you to sync content between your SMART TV, Galaxy phones and tablets.
I really want this phone to fly. Well, if not the phone, then at least the concept of adding a 15-lumen projector to a smartphone, in the same way that cameras and GPS are now built into your mobile, it doesn’t get highlighted as a main selling point, but as a staple in handheld devices. Imagine the following scenarios:
an artist (in this case an independent film maker) wants to show off his new movie via an impromptu screening in a public area. All you need is a wall and the requirement that the movie be no longer than 2 hours (that’s the battery life of the phone when you turn on the projector)
Protest rallies .. you can easily set up a multimedia hub
Impromptu statements, which, although highly controversial can really serve its purpose: “Eat here!” or “Don’t eat here — service really bad!”
Marketers have been consistently trying to find more ways to bring together the Internet and real-world behavior. With “social” and “sharing” becoming the buzz of the industry the past few years, how would retailers feel if you could literally write something on their store wall, and not just on Facebook?
The Samsung Galaxy Beam boasts a decent spec sheet for a modern-day smartphone: ships with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 4″ WVGA display, and runs on a 1GHz dual-core processor. The Beam is their first projector-enabled smartphone (640 x 360 at 50 inches maximum size) at 15 lumens. It doesn’t perform very well during daylight but at night, it can definitely grab your attention.
Let’s go on low gear for a bit and talk about feature phones. The Lenovo A335 is a feature phone (OMG it’s not a smartphone!) that carries dual SIM features, camera, MP3 player and a 1700mAh battery that will last you more than 2 days.
But its best feature is the customized ambient sounds that is built into the phone. When you’re talking to someone, you can .. well.. fabricate your whereabouts. From being in transit on the MRT to being on a bike or a restaurant. And you can even add your own. Like .. if you’re talking to your loved one, have the sound of wedding bells in the background! O diba!
