Now Use Your Smartphone To Control A Paper Airplane

Washington: Researchers have developed a new technology that can turn your self-made paper airplane into a smartphone-controlled flying machine capable of twisting and turning through open skies. Power Up 3.0, built by US-based designer Shai Goitein, promises to give the basic paper model an upgrade, using a small attachable propeller and rudder for a little more speed and steering control. PowerUp 3.0′s wireless communication is based on Bluetooth Smart technology. Bluetooth connectivity allows the user to control the paper airplane via their smartphone with an accompanying app. Tilting the phone to the left or right allows users to turn their airplane as it flies a whopping 60 yards. The app also includes a compass, controls for thrust and readouts for battery life and range, ‘Mashable’ reported.

To begin, a user has to simply fold a piece of copier paper into a paper airplane. Then, they have to attach the smart module to their paper plane with the patented clips underneath the Smart Module. Starting the app connects the Smart Module with their cell phone. Users can then push throttle to full and launch the paper airplane high up into the sky, according to the product’s description on Kickstarter website.

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BlackBerry Offers Free And Discounted Apps To BB10

For those still on BlackBerry (seriously why?) will be delighted to hear that Blackberry is offering Apps for Free or heavily discounted on their store this December month.

As a part of their Winter Sale initiative, the discount and freebies applies to only BB10 OS users, that is handset owners of Q5, Q10, Z10, and Z30 only apply. "Rest of you suckers, burn in Blackberry Obsoleteness Hell… muahaha! Err, we mean please upgrade to a BB10 device", thought the Dark Lords of BlackBerry.

Under the offer, BB10 users will get one free app every day from 1st Dec to 25th Dec. Meaning a popular game such Angry Birds will be available for free for a 24-hour period only, after which it will go at a discount of 0.99 USD (Rs 63 approx).

Is this BlackBerry's way of getting cash in quick? You bet, especially since it was sold to Canadian financiers for a measly price.

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Oppo sets N1 swivel-cam Android phone price at $599

The Oppo N1, an Android phone with an unusual swiveling camera design, now has a price: $599.

The Chinese phone maker announced the price on Google+ Sunday along with a precise date, December 10, when it'll start taking orders. In Europe, the phone will cost 449 euros.

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The phone is notable for its use of a camera module that can be rotated to point in different directions compared to the screen. It's also got a touch-sensitive patch on the back that people can use for scrolling without touching the front of the screen. And it's capable of running the CyanogenMod version of Android, but it ships with Oppo's own Color OS, which is a based on Android 4.2, aka Jelly Bean. However, it can't use the newer LTE high-speed networking technology.

The camera can be operated with a remote control and can take 8-second long-exposure photos, too.

The N1 has a 5.9-inch 1080p display, a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, a 13-megapixel camera with a six-element lens, and a 3610mAh battery. It can use 850/900/1800/1900MHz GSM frequencies and 850/900/1700/1900/2100MHz WCDMA frequencies. It'll come in 16GB or 32GB models.

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Google Nexus phones reportedly susceptible to SMS attacks

Google's latest Nexus smartphones are vulnerable to an attack in which someone could force the phones to reboot or lose their network connection by sending them a large number of a certain kind of SMS message, according to PC World.

Bogdan Alecu, a system administrator at Dutch IT services company Levi9, reportedly found that the vulnerability can occur when an attacker sends around 30 so-called Flash SMS messages -- messages that appear immediately on the phone's screen upon arrival -- to the Galaxy Nexus, the Nexus 4, or the Nexus 5. If the messages aren't promptly dismissed, it opens the phones up for attack. Alecu plans to present his findings Friday at the DefCamp security conference in Bucharest, Romania.

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One of the problems that Nexus users face is that they won't be automatically alerted with an audio tone when a Flash SMS message is received, which could allow an attacker to send a lot of them quickly before they're noticed or dismissed, PC World reports.

According to Alecu, the SMS overload can result in several issues, including the phone rebooting, which is the most likely outcome. In that case, if a PIN is required to unlock the SIM card, the phone won't connect to the network after rebooting. Another problem that can occur is that the messaging app crashes, but the system then automatically restarts it.

Alecu told PC World that while the issue appears to affect the latest Nexus smartphones running Android versions Ice Cream Sandwich through KitKat, it hasn't worked on other phones he's tested.

We've reached out to Google for comment on how the company plans to address the issue and will update this post when we learn more. Alecu told PC World that he reported the issue to Google, but it hasn't yet been addressed.

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For Black Friday, Apple favors gift cards over discounts

Don't go to Apple's online and retail stores expecting to see the iPad maker's traditional Black Friday discounts. This year, Apple has thrown in a bit of twist to its holiday deals.

Today Apple is offering gift cards of up to $150 when you purchase a gadget through its US online and retails outlets. This is a divergence from years past, when it would discount the products themselves.

If you pick up a new iPad Mini or iPad 2, expect to get a $50 Apple Store gift card. TheiPad Air is worthy of a $75 gift card. And if you buy a new iMac, MacBook Pro, orMacBook Air, you can score a $150 gift card.

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That's still less than what some other retail outlets are offering. Target, for instance, istouting an iPad Air for $479 (it's usually $499) with a $100 gift card to its stores. That's an in-store only offer. And atWalmart, you can get the iPhone 5S for $189 (its original price is $199) and the iPhone 5C (typically $99) for $45 with a two-year contract. After signing the contract, you'll get a $75 Walmart gift card.

Apple appears to be going the usual route in Europe, by offering standard discounts on its hardware as opposed to the gift cards. The gift cards offering is only in Apple's US and Australian online and retail stores.

We've reached out to Apple for comment on the Black Friday changes and will update this post when we hear back.

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BlackBerry Inks Deal With Micromax, Spice Over BBM

New Delhi: After introducing popular BBM to Android and iOS users, BlackBerry said it will partner handset makers from India, like Micromax, Spice and Zen, other nations to pre-install the popular messaging app on their smartphones.

With the BBM app coming pre-installed, users can directly engage with other BBM users without having to download the app or incurring download charges.

"BBM will soon come preinstalled on a variety of Android-based smartphones from leading OEMs across Africa, India, Indonesia, Latin America and the Middle East," BlackBerry said in a statement.

Beginning next month, Android smartphones from Be, Brightstar, Celkon, EVERCOSS, IMO, Micromax, Mito, Snexian, Spice, TECNO, TiPhone and Zen will include BBM preinstalled, it added.

BBM will continue to be available as a free download from Android app stores, including Google Play.

"It is clear that smartphone customers see BBM as a must have app for active conversations. The uptake we have seen for BBM since the launch on Android and iPhone is amazing," BlackBerry Executive Vice President (BBM) Andrew Bocking said.

BBM is already available pre-loaded on Micromax's Canvas Turbo and will now be preloaded in the entire forthcoming range of Canvas phones.

BlackBerry today also launched its BBM Channels, which will allow brands to engage with people and communities.

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Samsung's marketing splurge doesn't always bring bang-for-buck

(Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co(005930.KS) is expected to spend around $14 billion - more than Iceland's GDP - on advertising and marketing this year, but it doesn't always get value for money.

The outlay buys the South Korean technology giant publicity in TV and cinema ads, on billboards, and at sports and arts events from the Sydney Opera House to New York's Radio City Music Hall. Google Inc (GOOG.O) spent less on buying Motorola's handset business.

And Samsung, which has a market value of $227 billion, has made no secret of keeping up its aggressive marketing and promotion splurge as it seeks to make its brand as aspirational as Apple Inc's (AAPL.O). But the money it's spending doesn't always bring the desired result.

Last month, a Samsung-sponsored short-film contest finale at the Sydney Opera House received poor reviews for blatant product placement in a series of 'behind the scenes' videos. In Britain, viewers panned a product placement deal with ITV's popular X-Factor talent show. "Is this a singing competition or an extended Samsung advert?" asked Twitter user Ryan Browne.

Earlier this year, Samsung's New York launch of its latest top-of-the-range Galaxy smartphone came under fire for being sexist, portraying giggling women chatting about jewelery and nail polish while the men discussed the new phone, and the company's new fridge and washing machine launch in South Africa drew similar complaints as it featured swim-suit dancers.

"Samsung's marketing is too much focused on projecting an image they aspire to: being innovative and ahead of the pack," said Oh Jung-suk, associate professor at the business school of Seoul National University. "They are failing to efficiently bridge the gap between the aspiration and how consumers actually respond to the campaign. It's got to be more aligned."

Samsung spends a bigger chunk of its annual revenue on advertising and promotion than any other of the world's top-20 companies by sales - 5.4 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data. Apple spends just 0.6 percent, and General Motors (GM.N) 3.5 percent.

"When your brand doesn't have a clear identity, as is the case with Samsung, to keep spending is probably the best strategy," said Moon Ji-hun, head of brand consultant Interbrand's Korean operation. "But maintaining marketing spend at that level in the longer term wouldn't bring much more benefit. No one can beat Samsung in terms of (ad) presence, and I doubt whether keeping investing at this level is effective."

In a statement to Reuters, Samsung said it will "continue to leverage our brand power to maintain growth momentum, while focusing on optimizing the efficiency of our marketing activities," reiterating recent comments by its co-CEO.

"Our product innovation and marketing strategy have made Samsung the world's most preferred smartphone brand," J.K. Shin, who also heads the group's mobile business, told investors recently. "Now we'll move from the most preferred brand to become one of the world's leading aspirational brands."

INNOVATING, NOT FOLLOWING

Samsung's 'Next Big Thing,' and 'It's Time to Change' marketing campaigns stress that its products are cutting-edge, and even trumpet its technology 'world firsts' before they're ready for prime time, such as curved smartphones, available only in South Korea, and curved TVs that cost nearly $10,000.

For a company long seen as a follower, this is now a big sell on it being an innovator.

But, while Samsung has become the world's biggest advertiser, spending $4.3 billion on ads alone last year, its global brand value of $39.6 billion is less than half that of Apple, which spent only $1 billion on advertising, according to Interbrand and ad researcher Ad Age.

To be sure, Samsung has a more diverse range of mobile products, which along with its chips and household appliance businesses need more marketing across different target audiences. But the heavy marketing spend suggests a need to convince consumers that it belongs at the top. Apple can afford to spend less as it already has that brand recognition, and cachet.

"The stronger, more differentiated the product, the less it needs to be propped up by advertising," said Horace Dediu, founder of independent research firm Asymco and a former Nokia business development manager, referring to Apple's ad spend.

Defending its marketing budget, Samsung can point to its lead in the global smartphone market - it sells one in every three smartphones and has more than double Apple's market share. The Korean group's savvy adverts mocking Apple devotees, and heavy investment in distribution channels have strengthened its Galaxy mobile brand.

"The Galaxy brand has established itself, and the Samsung brand is now much stronger than Android or any of the other OEM brands, except Apple," said Benedict Evans, an independent technology and media consultant in London. "The underlying problem is that Samsung has established itself as a dependable quality brand, not a differentiated or premium quality product, so it does best where it's not competing directly with Apple."

Samsung works with a number of advertising agencies, including Publicis Groupe (PUBP.PA), Interpublic Group (IPG.N), and MDC Partners (MDZa.TO) (MDCA.O).

IN LOW GEAR

Samsung's latest marketing splash has been on its Galaxy Gear smartwatch, which has been almost universally panned by reviewers. The device has been aggressively marketed through adverts and collaboration with fashion shows - yet only 800,000 Gears have been shipped since its launch two months ago. Compare that to the more than 5 million Note 3 smartphones that have been shipped since its late-September launch, and it suggests fewer than a fifth of the Note buyers are also buying the accessory device.

Undeterred, Samsung has vowed more Gear promotions for the crucial year-end holiday season as it seeks to lead the wearable computer market and prove its innovation credentials.

"Probably Samsung knows better than anyone that Gear will not become a mainstream product. Still, they are trying to convey the message that 'we are first with such technology,' which they hope will help build their brand as an advanced technology firm," said Interbrand's Moon.

A deep-pocketed Samsung - it earned operating profit of $9.6 billion in the third quarter alone - is still pushing the envelope to win over consumers.

This month, the big-spending official sponsor of the past eight Winter and Summer Olympics launched a fantasy-inspired soccer marketing campaign ahead of the mid-2014 World Cup in Brazil - selecting 11 of the world's top players, including Argentine striker Lionel Messi, for a virtual match to save Earth from aliens - with the help of Galaxy devices.

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