Thursday, October 10, 2013

Flipkart's IPO may be 1-2years away

Flipkart.com was at one point of time represented the boom in online shopping. One of the first who used financial muscle to spend heavily on advertising and marketing. Price warrior on most fronts.

But it seems of late that they no longer want to be the cheapest. It seems they happy just letting the image they have created to let people come and buy stuff from them.

Evidence of this can be found on price comparison sites like 91mobilles.com, mysmartprice.com and pricedealsindia.com. You can search for any category of goods and you'll find it cheaper on some other website.

The other problem is that the website is no long a seller but a marketplace where all kinds of seller come to sell similar to amazon. Since Amazon launched its Indian site, it is becoming more and more unlikely that it will acquire an existing platform, forcing the e-retailer to be profitable rather than guzzle cash given to it by its VC firms.

The recent round of funding might actually be funding to help it sustain operations for a year or two and finally come with Ipo-able numbers, also increasing VC stake before valuations rise (after turning profitable).

One firm lesson: - buyers should compare prices before buying anything on flipkart.

Second: Flipkart isn't what it used to be. The marketplace makes the website a vulnerable place for buyers who would trust flipkart blindly because of all the marketing hype. Its more important than ever to read the fine-print. On every website. Or simply go out and enjoy buying from your favourite Croma/Mobile Store.
Sent from my BlackBerry®

Monday, October 7, 2013

Multi Cast for any Blackberry with BB7.1

Blackberry launched the 9720 with an app called the Multicast which allows you to post to multiple social networks. But this app is currently available only on 9720 and not as an app or update on the other OS 7.1 phones.

Well actually there is a feature that lets you do a "multicast" right from the day the OS 7.1 was released and its called "social feeds". Social feeds is where you can consolidate your social network feeds from Facebook BBM and Twitter. It can also be used to a multicast. Simply click on "New Post" the BB Menu. It will allow you do select the network you want to post to and get done with it.

Only one limitation exists in social feeds app that multicast solved and that is the ability to attach pictures. I think there will be eventually an update for the older devices which will provide "Multicast" app.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

How to use Whatsapp

Whatsapp is a messaging app based on the phone numbers in your contact list. It does not use sms or mms but uses internet data, so that you don't need to spend on sms. It works on all smartphone platforms (except obscure ones) including Blackberry (it runs fine without BIS too sometimes), Android, iPhone, Window Phone, Nokia Symbian, and also Nokia s40 (that includes all asha phones, individual model no.s can be found on the Whatsapp website)

1. Install the app from http://www.whatsapp.com/download/ on your mobile phone.
2. Give it required permissions to access internet via cellular (EDGE, 3G) data, wifi and to contacts on your phone.
3. While installing, it will send a local sms to the phone number that you are registering with, to make sure that the number is being used in the handset that Whatsapp is being registered on. So you need to make sure you can send and receive sms on the phone that you are installing it in. It will automatically read the incoming message - that message has a code that Whatsapp will use to register.
4. Once registered, you will see the app interface in the top row which shows current 'chats' (which should be empty if you are using it for the first time), 'favourites' which is essentially all of your contacts who are using whatsapp too, 'all contacts' is the contacts in your phone's addressbook, "Status" where you can set you status message - you can have custom status messages too, and Settings where you can decide how the app behaves.
5. To start chatting, press the 'new chat' button, select the contact you want to say hi to, and type 'hi' and press send. Another way to start is to select your contact from the favourites menu and start chatting. If you do not find that contact in the favourite menu, try the search function (in the blackberry, simply start typing the name of the contact in the favourites menu). If you still don't find them it means that they do not use whatsapp, or they have registered a different number (which is not present in your addressbook). You have the option of searching them up in 'all contacts' and inviting them via normal/standard SMS.
6. You can also form groups in whatsapp, Simply start a 'new group chat', select the contacts you want to add to the group and you are good to go. You can also add new members to the group later on.

Using whatsapp with a different number:
Once installed and registered, You can change the sim card in the phone to keep using whatsapp with the old number, provided you don't need to re-register on whatsapp. You can use this while roaming internationally and use the local sim to make call while still being accessible on whatsapp using your old number.

If you are changing your number permanently, you can still continue the same conversations on your new number by going to 'settings' and then 'account' and then look for an option to 'change my number'. This will make sure that your group chats and other conversations continue. But for the contacts whom you have not initiated chats with, they will see your number as an unknown number unless they have it their phonebook. So best to send them a message saying that this is your new number.

Voice messaging:
You can send voice notes to your contacts too. It might be fun thing to do or you can use it if your hands are not free or you don't have time. In touchscreen phones, there will be a voice chat icon next to the chat box or if you are using a qwerty it can be activated by pressing and holding the spacebar, recording you message and releasing the spacebar to send the message.

I'll be posting a 'how to" for BBM once it releases on iOS and Android.

Friday, August 23, 2013

How to get a torch light on your blackberry for free?

Note: This will only work with blackberries which have a flash. I'm sure this one works on a 7.1 OS device but it should work on 6.x and 5.x device as well.

Well I had been searching for a flashlight/torch app that I could use with my blackberry 9320. Many of them were trial versions and some I was afraid were collecting too much information or needed permission to access the internet.

Finally I found an app that does a lot of things and a flashlight feature built in. Its called Advanced OS and LED. Its a nice app. But while using the app I found that you don't need one to use the torch. There is a setting by which I can not only use the flashlight but assign one of the side keys to launch it too.

Here's the secret that the flashlight app makers don't want u to know. Just open the "video camera" and go to "options". It will have the setting for "video light". Check the box. Now everytime you open the video camera you'll have the flash turn on. Close it to go off.

Now if you want to assign a side button just assign it for video camera and you'll get a handy torch light

Don't want to use the side button? You can always go to the media menu (in OS 7.x) or shift the video camera to the home menu (4.x and 5.x). OR in 6.x and 7.x you can use the universal search feature and just type "video" or "camera" to get to the app.

Let me know if it works for you.
Sent from my BlackBerry®

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