Why we're waiting for the Galaxy SIII...

Remember a few months ago when we were all waiting for the Apple keynote to see whether Apple would indeed introduce an iPad 3 or last year when we expected an iPhone 5?  What happened?  Many of us were disappointed to find out those products never happened despite all the rumours that were circulating.

The revolution we wanted never happened that many wanted but something quite strange has been happened in the smartphone industry in the last few weeks.  There have been people speculating and awaiting what's coming in a new smartphone and for once it's not an Apple product.

Samsung have succeeded in keeping everyone on their toes with what the Samsung Galaxy SIII will be when it is finally announced.  Samsung have given an indication today that we need only wait a few more weeks as they will most likely make the announcement on May 3rd.  Samsung looks to have settled on a roll-out strategy similar to Apple's where they announce one big product every year and to their credit that they've managed to get people this excited.

Samsung has become the de facto standard of what Android is and in the battle with Apple internationally, it has firmly set its sights of what Google Android / Samsung can do to gain mainstream acceptance within the Middle East.

Let's hope Samsung doesn't disappoint us with the Galaxy SIII announcement (if it is indeed called that) like Apple has done because you get a sense that many consumers aren't going to be quite as tolerant as they have been with Apple thus far.

Posted By: Ashish Panjabi, Chief Operating Officer, Jacky's Electronics

Jacky's Valentine's Day Competition draws 400 entries.

Jacky’s hosted its Valentine’s Day competition from 30 Jan to 12 Feb 2012 to celebrate love with a twist of fascination for gadgets and provide a platform of expression and sharing in the form of competition. 

The Jury and team has taken all care to ensure that all the entries were given its due worth however the competition was stiff and there could only be three winners.

The Three most heartiest entries that have been chosen Winners by our JURY are as follows:

******
Samay Majhi - Winner | 2 * Iphone 4S
Loreamel Bunyi-Vespiras - Runner up 1 | 2 * Sony Tablet
Sanju Scaria - Runner up 2 | 1* Shaver & 1 * Epilator

  ******

To all our ardent fans and all the community members who have painstakingly contributed and followed the competition, we would like to share our approach and behind-the-scene work that reinforces our responsibility to our fan community and commitment to conduct in fairness.  

The competition ran over 14 days and drew whopping 400 entries. The Competition was closely monitored on daily basis; for fairness edited entries were NOT considered despite some with higher Likes than other.  While there was community led policing and reporting of the fake likes on our wall, our team engaged in detailed screening of all entries for identifying Fake profiles, Fake Profile likes, no referral likes that eventually were eliminated. All comments were moderated by Jacky’s; certain comments that have been deleted are due to abusive language.

Entries have been shortlisted on the criteria of authenticity, creativity, uniqueness, personal relevance in the message and relevance to gadgets along with public likeability. There have been entries that have been more creative but with lesser likes and couldn’t be considered for shortlist whilst entries with high number of likes but falling short on the other criteria. The Entries that have won the competition have scored well across over all the criteria’s. 

We maintain that the judgment has been fair and believe that most of the participants acknowledge it. 

The Essence of any competition is participation and fun, which undoubtedly has been brought about by each participant and we can’t thank enough for everybody’s contribution. 

Being a competition, we expect most of the people will sport the underlying spirit. While winning remains important, it’s VITAL to play to one’s true potential and take the result in a positive stride.

Hope you have a great Valentine's with your loved ones and spread the Cheer :-)

Post by: Manish Arora, Head- Retail Marketing, Jacky's Electronics

Camera trends & Best sellers for DSF 2012

Some photos capture more than the visual aspect, they go beyond the scenic and capture the imagination of the person behind the lens.  Whether you are one of those who has been dreaming to embark on creating your photo tales but remain overwhelmed with the so called sophistication around the DIY or more formally known Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera range, or you might be the one who believes that you might not be able to exert yourself beyond push of a button with a point and shoot digital still camera (DSC), this read should help you in making your pick.

Current Trends

§   As the age of Smart phone cameras emerge, the ‘low end’ point-n-shoot market is evolving into “bridge cameras” that feature long zooms and manual override capability, and sometimes RAW mode. Or just nice pocket cameras with a fair amount of capability relative to the smart phone. Likewise, the mid range is moving into low end DSLRs.

§  The consumer video camera market is shrinking. More and more people either use their smart phone or their “bridge camera” or DSLR to shoot video. It seems to be working for them.

§  The new generations of digital still cameras have Wi-Fi capability to upload photos and videos direct from the camera to YouTube and social media websites. This includes more sophisticated touch screen for better user interface experience.

§  The video camera market will exist mostly at the high end, in the near future. Think larger sensors (m43, APS-C) and interchangeable lenses.

Future Trend:

§  It should not be a long wait before we will see some of the key players in this category introducing cameras with capabilities that allow ‘apps’ to make it smarter, just like your smart phone, or your tablet or notebook computer.

§  Lytro Cameras; The Lytro camera may be the most diminutive object to start a revolution. With its simple, rectangular form factor, the Lytro looks more ready to bestow the user with a half-dozen Oreo cookies than a totally new kind of photography. The Lytro is the world’s first consumer light-field camera. Unlike conventional models, a light-field camera captures all the light information from all the rays in its field of view — not just color and intensity, but direction as well. The method has a number of novel applications, the most publicized being photos that the viewer can focus after the fact.

Best Sellers:

1. Canon EOS1100DKIT 

This is the DSLR with a very high demand in the market. The Canon EOS1100D is a 12 Megapixel DSLR with a 2.7” LCD screen. It has a wide area 9 point Auto Focus system with HD movie recording capabilities. This model has ISO 100-6400 sensitivity with Live View features and on screen feature guide. This DSF Jacky’s is selling this model for Dhs. 3099 along with a bundle including of 18-55mm DC lens, EF55-250mm IS lens worth Dhs. 1899 and a EF50mm 1.8 lens worth Dhs. 449. The bundle also consists of a 16 GB SD card worth Dhs. 99, a Carry Case and a Dhs.100 Jacky’s Gift Voucher. Along with this offer Jacky’s is also giving away premium Gifts worth Dhs. 350 in the form of Branded Perfume Sets OR Targus Pilot case along with the DSLR camera. A customer will have a total saving of Dhs.1599 with this bundle package.

2.  Canon EOS500DKIT

This is the DSLR with advanced features; it has 15.1 Megapixel with CMOS sensor, 3.4 frames per second with up to 170 JPEG burst, 3.0” clear view LCD with Live View, 9-point Auto Focus system and supports full HD 1080p movies. This DSF Jacky’s offers this model for Dhs.3199 with the 18-55mm DC lens along with EF 75-300mm lens worth Dhs.899 and other items in the bundle include battery grip worth Dhs.799, Dhs.200 Jacky’s Gift Voucher, 16GB SD Card worth Dhs.99 and a Carry Case. Also you get premium gifts worth Dhs. 350 in the form of Branded perfume set OR Targus Pilot case. A customer makes a total saving of Dhs. 1350 with this bundle package.

3.  Fujifilm FinePix S3300

This is a Pict-bridge camera with 14 Megapixel, 26x optical zoom, 3.0” LCD screen, 24mm Wide Angle Lens, ISO6400 sensitivity and Electronics viewfinder. This DSF Jacky’s is selling at Dhs.1699 with a Free LG 32” LCD TV worth Dhs.1099, 4GB Memory card and Case. Also you get premium gifts worth Dhs.300 in the form of branded perfume and cross pen. A customer avails a 40% saving with this bundle offer on the camera. 

4. Sony Cyber-shot DSCW570

Sony was the first ones to launch a 16.1 Megapixel camera with 5x optical zoom, 25mm Wide angle lens, 720p HD Movie recording, Optical Steady Shoot and unique feature of Sweep panorama. This model is one of the hottest products in the market with limited stock availability at most times due to its amazing performance and features. This DSF Jacky’s is offering this model for Dhs. 664 with a bundle promotion of 16GB card worth Dhs.100 Free along with a 2GB card and Carry Case. You also get a free cross pen worth Dhs.150 this DSF. A customer makes a saving of Dhs. 85 with this bundle.

5. Nikon Coolpix S6200

Nikon’s Coolpix S6200 offers this 16 Megapixel camera with 10x optical zoom, 2.7” LCD Screen, 720p HD Movie Recording, 18 optimized scene modes and USB charging abilities. This model is now offered at Dhs. 699 and was previously offered at Dhs. 999. You get a promotional bundle of 4 GB card and case. The DSF premium gift this season with this model is a cross pen worth Dhs. 150.  Customer can save 30% on this bundle deal.

6. Samsung MV800

Samsung MV800 is 16Megapixel camera with Multi view Flip out Display; it has 5x optical zoom, 3.0” Touch LCD Screen with its Live Panorama and HD Movie Feature. Samsung has used its expertise in smart phones and tablets to create a unique digital photography experience with the interface of this camera being similar to that of a smart phone looking at the icons and the Apps. The DSF offer from Jacky’s is that it is priced now at Dhs. 999 with a free 4 GB SD card and case, earlier was Dhs. 1199. The DSF premium gifts this season with this model are a cross pen & branded perfume worth Dhs. 300. It is available in Black, Red, and White Colors.

7. Panasonic DMCGF3KGCK

Panasonic has launched this Micro 4x3 Mirror less camera, making it a compact. It is an entry level camera in its category to be challenging as an alternative to the DSLR cameras. This camera features a 12 Megapixel with 3.0” LCD touch screen, 3D photo support, 14-42mm lens, Full AVCHD Video recording and it is the camera with world’s Fastest Auto Focus of just 0.1 second. This DSF it is priced at Dhs. 2599 with a Free 4 GB SD card and bag along with a Dhs.500 Jacky’s Gift Voucher. The DSF premium gift this season with this model is a branded perfume set worth Dhs. 350.

8. Panasonic SDRT76

Panasonic has Memory Video Camera this DSF with 78X Optical zoom which is very powerful. This Video camera has a 8 GB Flash Memory, 33mm Wide Angle Lens, Intelligent Auto Focus, YouTube Up loader, Advanced O.I.S, Wind Noise Canceller, 1.9 second Quick Power On and it is the only Video Camera to be Made in Japan. In Jacky’s it is selling for Dhs. 1199 and we are offering a Free Digital Still Camera Ls-5 worth Dhs. 379 and two 2 GB SD Cards, Tripod , Camera case, camera bag and Battery Charger. The DSF premium gifts this season with this model are a cross pen & branded perfume worth Dhs. 300.

9.  JVC GZHM445

This is a hot offer product this DSF with the 1.5 Megapixel CMOS Sensor camera with 40x optical zoom, face recognition features, LED light, Advanced Image stabilizer, Time lapse recording and Dual Card Slot. This DSF Jacky’s is selling them for Dhs.1199 with free Dhs.100 Gift Voucher, 8 GB + 4 GB SD Cards, Tripod and Case. Previous price was Dhs. 1499 and with this bundle offer customer saves Dhs. 500. This camera is available in 3 colors namely silver, red and black. The DSF premium gifts this season with this model are a cross pen & branded perfume worth Dhs. 300. 

Posted By: Deepak Kriplani, Deputy - Buying Head & Hareesh Keerthy, Marketing Executive, Jacky's Electronics

The Non-Death of Ultrabooks

Is the laptop dead? 

Have Ultrabooks failed before they’ve even had a chance to make an impact?

If you listen to a lot of the analysts, journalists and industry observers out there, they would make you believe that this is indeed the case.  The things is, I don’t think many of them have actually understood the opportunities that Ultrabooks possess.

Case in point: there was a story that circulated in Fast Company this week entitled “Is the Laptop Dead? Yup” where the author of the story, Kit Eaton has essentially said ultrabooks are just another name for a laptop and there isn’t much of a future left for them.  Most journalists including Eaton seem to see Ultrabooks as merely a Macbook Air competitor which may get some extra bells and whistles going forward such as touch screens or pico projectors.  

HP may launch a dual-touchscreen Ultrabook this week at the Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Image: slashgear.com 

Another story that appeared in AllThingsD this week titled “Ultrabooks, the Ultra-Fancy New Name for Laptops” says it bluntly where the author, Ina Fried, says in short that Intel is playing a game of deception wherein they’ve simply just renamed laptops with a new term that allows it compete at a value similar to that of the Macbook Air.

I’ve had the benefit of spending a decent amount of time with Intel to understand their vision of the Ultrabooks that shows you there is a lot more to it than the critics have given Intel credit for.  What we’re seeing now and likely to see at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is just the first generation of the Ultrabooks.  Towards the latter part of 2012 and 2013 is when we’ll really see Ultrabooks take centre stage.

Ultrabooks are a form factor that will mutate itself and be a cross between what we’re used to seeing in our conventional laptop computers, tablets and smartphones as we seem them today.  The form factor will move beyond the clam shape designs that we’re used to seeing into candy bar, tablet or slider form factors.  The operating system will be Windows 8 or possibly even Android.  Ultrabooks will have touch screen capabilities.  They will also most likely have a wireless video streaming technology so that you can work with your Ultrabook off your monitor, TV set or any other display device that you may have (Intel already has a WIDI technology that’s been around for years that can enable this today).  The battery life could well reach 30 days and switch on instantly much like your tablet does today.  You won’t switch off an ultrabook, you’ll put it into a standby mode like you do with your tablet.  Ultrabooks will also be capable of downloading your mails even when they’re off much like your smartphone does when it’s standby mode.

With all of this, Ultrabooks will move well beyond what conventional clamshell laptops of today do.  To say Ultrabooks or laptops are dead is a premature statement.  There is still life left to this but judge the category not by comparing it merely to what a Macbook Air is as who knows what the Macbook Air will look like later in 2012.  


Update (9th Jan 2012): Intel showed off some of what we can expect from their Ultrabooks with something called Nikiski.  Engadget has got a video on their site and it's worth checking out (click here to see it).   I hope to have see this tomorrow hopefully during the Intel keynote here at CES.

Posted By: Ashish Panjabi, Chief Operating Officer, Jacky's Electronics

Sharing Digital Content

Several months ago we'd put out a post on our blog entitled "Digital Dilemma: How do you share content?" where we asked three questions with regards the frustration we have living in the UAE with access to digital content that we've currently got on our smartphones, tablets or e-readers.  While not much has changed in this region since then, it's comforting to know that some of the questions we had raised are being answered internationally.


1. How do you buy it?

To answer the first question which we asked in our original post, we're still sadly in a part of the world where most content providers haven't given us a means to legally purchase digital content.  Google's Android doesn't allow you to buy Apps.  Apple's iTunes only lets you buy Apps but not music, TV shows or music.  Amazon's Kindle is not officially supported in the Middle East.  This has then meant that if you live in the UAE and you want to legally get access to this digital content, you're using a foreign SIM card in your Google phone to access paid Apps on Google's Android Market, buying Gift Cards from the US or UK to access Apple's iTunes store or using an American billing address to buy content for your Amazon Kindle e-reader.  There is still no timeline on the horizon as to when the situation will change and sadly this question still remains unanswered.

Image: philosophyblog.com.au

2. What do you do if you only want the content for a short period of time and have no intention of buying it?

One of the other frustrations till now had been how do you borrow a book digitally as you would from a library.  Amazon and Apple both have services where you can either rent a textbook for a year or rent a movie.  This is often times at 30-40% of the cost of buying the content but at least you now an alternative if you can access the content using the means mentioned above.


3. How do you lend the content to a friend or family member?

This is something that Amazon recently helped address recently via the Kindle.  If you own a Kindle, you can now lend books to another person in several cases which in essence would be like lending a hard copy of a book to a friend.  There are certain time restrictions but it's good to know that at least an option has been worked out.  If you've got a Kindle and are interested in knowing more about this, there's more information at this link.

The bottom line is that to get access to digital content legally in the UAE, there are still several hoops you have to maneuver through until you get to where you want.  There are some people who will go through this trouble but the rest end up getting the content where they find it, which is often on an illegal peer-to-peer download services.  Content providers are yet to take this region seriously enough and until then, have to accept the fact that they've created a treasure hove of pirates in the region.  Things can change and content providers can start to get their rightful share of the pie if they gave us a solution.  Till then, they like us have come to accept the fact that the digital dilemma will remain as it is and the region will remain behind most of the developed world when it comes to digital content.

Posted By: Ashish Panjabi, Chief Operating Officer, Jacky's Electronics