Monthly Archives: November 2014

Google Lollipop 5.0 – Sweetest Of All Android Candies

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Google has recently rolled out its newest Android version named Lollipop which has left the world amazed with its millennial- centric looks and features. The only sad part is that the update is not made available to all android users yet, as it is available to Moto G, Moto X and Nexus 4/5/6/9 users only. Following is the list of features that has updated the smart phone experience indeed and is making many drool over it as they cannot have Lollipop on their devices:

  1. Fit App

The Fit app is built to help you maintain your fitness quotient. It measures activity that you are indulged in throughout the day and allows you to set goals for yourself to follow a better routine. Your activity data is recorded and stored by the app and the activity analysis is displayed through graphs and charts.

Lollipop Fit App

The app can collect data for following activities:

  • Walking
  • Running
  • Biking
  • Also allows adding “Other” activities different from the default 3. In this case the time spent on the activity needs to be added separately.

The app then summarizes the total days activity and compares the same with set goals and suggests time that would be needed to attain them.

  1. Advanced Security Features-
  • Trusted Device:

This feature allows users to add multiple devices to a trusted list. Doing this will automatically unlock your phone when it comes in range of these devices, saving you from the hassles of unlocking the phone time and again. The trusted devices could be a Bluetooth watch, a car’s Bluetooth system or an NFC sticker on a phone dock, another mobile with Bluetooth or NFC, etc.

  • Trusted Face:

This security feature lets your device unlock only after detecting your face or other configured faces which it deems trusted. This may sound like a better safety tool than other security features but Google itself recommends using rest of tools like security patterns and passwords.

It shows a message at the first screen stating that with this security feature your phone could be unlocked by someone who carries looks similar to that of the saved facial features and recommends using other security tools for better safety. It also mentions that the data used to recognize your face is saved on your set privately and is not shared anywhere else.

Anyhow, this feature surely creates interest and is worth trying.

  • Screen Pin

Another feature that’s adding to Android 5.0 Lollipop’s popularity is the screen pinning. With it, you can give your device to anyone without fearing of intrusion on your privacy. This advanced security feature allows you to restrict your device to single view/feature/app that you want one to use. He will neither be able to move out of screened section nor use any other app or feature of your phone.

Having this feature you need not be watchful while giving your phone to kids for playing games or to some stranger who wishes to make a call from your phone.

To pin a screen on your Lollipop device, turn on Screen Pinning from Phone Settings–> security–> Advanced and click ‘on’. Then go to the overview section (the square icon on the bottom phone navigation) —> select a screen or app that you wish to pin. Click on the pin circle icon on the bottom right of the screen.

Screen Pinning

To Unpin, touch and hold ‘Back’ and ‘Overview’ at the same time and you would be able to unpin the screen.

  1. Enhanced Notifications

The new Lollipop carries some eye catching changes when it comes to notifications. Locked screen notification is an added feature where the locked scene allows you to have a glimpse of the unattended notifications. The best thing is that you can see your notifications on locked screen without seeing the inside-content. To keep your data private it shows this ‘content hidden’ message along with each notification. You can only figure out who sent what, an email or a hangout message but not the actual content.

Locked Screen Notifications

Also the new android has a new way to manage sound notifications from the device. Control priority notifications via your device’s volume button so that only certain people & notifications get through.

It also allows making the notifications go completely silent so that you are not disturbed when you are busy with some other important task. This feature is the smarter way to manage your priorities and focus on the more important tasks at a given time.

Also, the new notifications view on top of the screen is no less a treat. This does not interfere in the work you are doing on the device and allows you to accept or dismiss a call while staying at the same screen.

Call Notification

  1. Media Gallery Vanished

Another change implemented by Google, which might make some people feel a bit uncomfortable is that the new android does not show a phone gallery- separately. All the images and videos on the phone are now displayed through Google Photos and give an option to backup your data with your Google account.

  1. Smarter Gmail

Android Lollipop comes loaded with the new Gmail. This updated e-mail app allows users to synchronize all or any email accounts at one place, i.e. you would not need a separate Yahoo e-mail app to view your yahoo account mails or Hotmail or any other for that matter. This app will allow you to connect with any email account from the same place making it easy to manage your mails and app space.

  1. Guest Mode:

Ever thought of giving your phone to someone else for a day? This might be little inconvenient for you mainly due to the personal data on your device as you don’t like it to be accessed or explored by anyone else except you. Solving the same issue, Android Lollipop has come up with a Microsoft Windows feature in your phone called the Guest mode.

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To switch to the guest mode simply bring down the quick navigation bar (using double fingers) -> Click on your tiny device image at the right top corner -> Click on “Guest” in the menu below. Once you click on “Guest” icon the phone switches to a fresh profile with factory settings and does not show any data from your personal profile (Just like windows guest profile). Lollipop also gives the option to add another user account in the phone if you plan to share your device with someone else.

  1. Magnification Gesture

This feature helps you turn on temporary magnification on your screen. Simply turn on Magnification gesture from Settings > Accessibility and tap the screen thrice to magnify a particular section. You can also pan the screen by dragging 2 or more fingers across the screen or adjust zoom level by pinching in and out, 2 or more figures together. To return to the normal state just lift your fingers from the screen and the phone will return to the normal screen.

  1. UI and UX Enhancements

Last but not the least, Google has done some magnificent work on the UI and UX of the android making it look smooth and beautiful. Some of the changes that would make you love using your phone are listed here: (With Screen Shorts)

  • New colorful and highly responsive UI design with highly enhanced visual elements like ripple effect on buttons.

Screenshot_2014-11-20-11-21-51

 

  • Quick setting allowing handy system controls to be used with just two finger scroll down from the top of the screen.
  • Easy toggling for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Location, flashlight, hotspot, screen rotation and cast screen.

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  • Improved battery life and performance with the new android ART runtime.
  • Improved audio, video, graphics and camera.
  • 68 + language support
  • Fast device setup.
  • Big screen print preview experience.
  • Cloud printing
  • Smarter and easily manageable calendar.

Lollipop Calander

  • Easier and faster data sharing through Andriod Beam that lets you share media with a light tap to the other NFS enabled device.

All- in – all, Google has made the android experience enhance in many ways and has successfully integrated computing ease to your mobile devices. But, all these perks and treats come with a risk of losing all to Google. With Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google has found another way to control all data in your device. All apps and features are integrated to one account and that belongs to GOOGLE.

Hope you enjoy reading the list and exploring your new android.

What features or apps did you like in your new android-Lollipop? Share your favorites with us and other android lovers.

What should I wear for my meeting with the investors?

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Starting your own business is not the easiest job to do on earth. In-fact, it is one of the most challenging bets you play- putting your life’s savings on stake. Arranging money for starting a business is one of the major factors that affect the working and growth of the business as well as your future. When you pitch an investment proposal to an investor, they don’t just look at what your business plan is, but they look for everything- how you speak, how you behave, how focused you are, how passionate you are and a lot more! So it is important to understand that a lot goes into convincing an investor; it has to be a complete package!

But the most important thing is how you dress or should we say how you look! The way you look is the only thing which is judged much before you even begin to speak or present yourself.

So the real question is how should you look? Should it be Casual, Formal, Semi-Casual / Formal?

Well, the answer is- It depends!

There are always two ways of looking at this situation:

  • How the investor expects you to dress up
  • What are you comfortable in?

When you meet an investor, your first impression is extremely crucial and can decide your fate.

At the same time, the way you dress or the way you look from Top-to-Bottom, represents you and your company. While, it is important to be yourself, it is also important to understand that your there to sell something. Your actually there to sell your company, your product, your idea or for that matter yourself! So, to do so you have to have a lasting impression in all aspects.

This can also mean luring your audience and dressing is an important part of it! Dressing crisp is more important than wearing a suite & tie. Many investors do not really mind or look at the way you dress unless you are standing there in an un-ironed t-shirt and have uncombed hair. You must understand that huge decisions are made in those meetings and you should dress accordingly.

Factors affecting the decision:

Some of the factors that must be considered while finalizing your attire for a meeting with the investors are listed as follows:

  • Business Type

This is one of the most important factor to be considered when deciding on what to wear for an investor meeting. Your outfit should match the type of firm you are heading or representing. For instance if you are going to sell hats or bow ties, it is better to wear one from your own brand to the meeting. But this is not advisable for all sorts of businesses- It is fine to wear jeans and a shirt if you sell funny costumes.

Men's Business Suites

  • Rules of the VC firm

It is a well known saying in some countries that “One must eat what they please and dress like what pleases others”. It is recommended to know the people you are planning to meet. If it’s a huge VC firm and they have an “all formals” dress code, you must match the same. Do not reach for the meeting in a nightgown; after all not everyone could be Mark Zuckerberg.

Some people working in the VC firms in the US tell us that a pair of well fit jeans is the new startup dress code. Choose a good fit shirt and a jacket or a blazer to go with the same. Remember to look crisp!  Make sure that the cloths you are wearing are as wrinkle free as possible. Do not wear your funky party t-shirt to the meeting unless you are planning to sell the same.

Quick Tip:

Go to the company’s website, research a little bit about them, their culture, what they are generally wearing, etc. and choose your attire accordingly!

  • Meeting Venue

Venue of the meeting is also a considerable factor to help you finalize your attire for the “big day”. Meeting with investors over coffee at an open coffee bar would require you to dress up different from what you would have looked like while meeting the same people at a business center. Wearing a suit and tie to the meeting, if it is undertaken in the investor’s office. And if it is a restaurant or a coffee shop in the venue, wearing a suite with an open collar shirt without the tie would work better.

For women entrepreneurs it is best to wear business formal while meeting in the office and a semi- formal dress or a shirt and a trouser or a well fit shirt when meeting at a more casual setup.

women-business-suits

  • Geography & Related Social Norms

Geography also plays an important role in understanding the dressing sense and has also created confusion for many young minds from other cities too! For instance, investors in east coast, US prefer something more formal whereas the investors in west coast don’t mind casuals too! Looking at trends in Asian countries there is still more formal dressing that works. Dressing up in formals gives a more serious and responsible look, when talking about the scenario in nations like China, Japan, India, Gulf Countries and even in some states of United Kingdom.

There would be many more factors that might affect your meeting with your investor, but it is always better to go well prepared- be it your looks or your business proposal. This will help you feel more confident and present your solution in a more confined and confident way leaving a positive impression on the listeners.

Some other suggestions that must be considered and inculcated in your life style are:

  • Wear Tailor Fit Apparels: Formals look best when they are tailored according to your measurements. Always prefer getting your formals stitched rather than settling for a “ready to wear” piece.
  • Color & Pattern: Avoid loud colors and big patterns as they might distract people from what you are saying and make them focus more on what you are wearing.
  • Cloth Material: For men, a heavy suite material with wool mix makes the best stuff for business attires. For women, it is suggested to avoid too much lace and see- through materials. This will help you carry yourself easily and look well groomed.

 

mens-suits_cloth

  • Jewelry: Talking about women- It is suggested to wear light jewelry with the dress you select. Do not choose big jewelry pieces as they would divert attention of the listeners. For men- wearing a ring is absolutely fine and if it is a very formal meeting, wear a pair of cuff-links! Also, wearing a watch is a good practice and shows that you respect time. So wear one always!
  • Fragrances: When it comes to selecting a perfume or a deodorant, you must go for natural mild fragrances. Avoid strong fragrances as some people might get irritated due to the musk and this might affect your efforts negatively.

Along with a good or decent dressing make sure to carry a great Idea, good market Knowledge, high commitment, enthusiastic team, traction, vision, passion and grit. After all you have to have an idea worth the investment.

We hope these tips along with your product fetch you good investments and help you chase your dream.

If you have something to add to it, please share the same in the comments below.

Prynt – Revolutionizing Selfies & Reinventing Polaroid Cameras

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Introducing Prynt – A prodigy of Clement Perrot, the young developer /CEO has combined the concept of clicking pictures and printing them and has taken it to a different level altogether.

In quick description, Prynt is revolutionizing the whole idea of “Selfies” by bringing a digital copy to a physical form direct from your cell phones.

The whole idea behind making this product was to bring apps like Instagram or Snapchat to real life. They wanted to take instant photography to the next level and wanted to create a mix of Smartphone and camera thus eventually turning it into an instant camera. The masses are more turning towards photography in some or the other way and they just wanted to make it more instant, adventurous, and creative but most importantly more “Alive”.

Formally, Prynt is a hardware company which is working on a real life concept of changing your Smartphone into a Polaroid. As much as complicated and impossible this sounds, this company has made it possible.

How does it work?

Using Prynt is pretty simple; all you need to do is attach your phone to it and take a picture or select a picture from your phone or Instagram account to print. That picture is then sent to the printing case for printing on a paper filled with ink. The image is printing by heating the sheet in a specific pattern creating the image. But be sure that you would not be able to print an image to any paper you want but only on the special ink paper provided by the company.

What will amaze you more is its companion app that works in a inexplicable way converting an image to a snap short when any of the printed images is held in front of the camera again. This feature is created by using the augmented reality feature in the Prynt app. The snap short could be played by clicking on a play button on the screen that plays the video embedded in the space of the picture itself creating an effect of a moving image. This has been made possible by making the app automatically records a short video around the time an image is being taken. All these videos and images are saved directly to the cloud. No Bluetooth or WiFi is needed to save or upload the images. This enables anyone having the picture to view the snapshort version in the app.

 

snapshort- prynt
Image snapshort could be played using Prynt app while holding the clicked image in front of the camera.

 

Prynt case is all set to launch its most awaited product by the year 2015 and will cost somewhere around USD 99 (£63). The product which will introduced during its initial launch will only support 4 inch screens but a larger version of the same is in the plan for the phablets and shall be released on a later date. The case would also be available in multiple colors for customers to choose from.

The prototype shown can only hold one piece of paper and takes 50 seconds to print. This means that every time you want to print, a new paper needs to be inserted. But don’t worry! The final version which will be released for customer purchase will take only 30 seconds to print the image as the connection between the case and the phone would be a sort physical connector (may be micro USB) and shall be able to hold 10 sheets at a time in the case.

The case is supported with a battery which prints around 30 pictures once charged fully. The print paper would be available for purchase through the app and would be delivered directly to your home for a cheaper and quick buy. Now, this paper would cost you a separate 3 cents per sheet while ordering through the app.

As reported on Crunchbase- The company has so far raised USD 25,000 to create this kind of technology through July 2014 HAXLR8R- an Accelerator program for hardware startup. The startup started working on the product in January 2014 and within months it is heading towards going into production of a 1000 sets for introducing on KickStarter. The product has been attracting good investment from venture capitalists and is being seen as the “Next Big Thing” in mobile phone photography.

Have more information about the device to share with our readers? Share the same with us in the comments below.

7 Most Popular Healthcare Apps

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It is very common to see someone approach a doctor regarding healthcare consultations, issues, etc! But with the drastic shift of environment to ecommerce in many sectors, healthcare too is seen rolling the ecommerce style. Although it is in its nascent stages but the users seem to-be loving the idea! I mean who would want to visit a doctor for every petty issue and pay big bucks when they can just get the solution through an app.

Now, since the masses have started to become health conscious, many new areas of opportunities have started to open up too.

As per the report submitted by IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics which includes an analysis of  40,000+ healthcare apps available for download from the U.S. Apple iTunes app store. This report was conducted to assess the potential value they provide throughout a patient’s voyage. And it clearly showed that most of these apps were focused towards diet & exercise and offered a relatively simple and affordable functionality.

On the other-hand, Flurry Analytics did their own research and found out that health and fitness app market was getting pretty huge with every passing day. It also said that within six months since December 2013 this genre grew 62% in usage as compared to overall apps growing @ 33%. To get a clearer view a detailed research amongst roughly 7,000 health and fitness apps in 100,000 devices was also conducted which stated that 62% users were females where as only the rest 38% were males using these apps.

Now with these stats, it was pretty clear that healthcare apps are in huge demand. One of the other reasons these apps have been gaining popularity is that it very easily helps you keep a track of your body in multiple ways like keeping a track of your exercise with suggestions, tracking your sleep and providing best solutions to cut down or increase, diet plan with recopies, etc!

We have jotted down some apps which are extremely popular and hold different areas of expertise. Their popularity is based on multiple things such as accessibility, user ratings, format, affordability, relevance and functionality to healthy living and the healthy living society’s needs.

 

  1. Pocket First Aid & CPR

iPhone – 3.5 stars with 1,125 ratings – USD 1.99
Android – 4.4 with 154 reviews – USD 1.99

 

 

Pocket-Firstaid
One of the best apps you will ever come across! That’s majorly because it is an emergency guide or you can also call it a virtual first-aid kit with all possible information about First Aid Basics, CPR, automated external defibrillators (AED), medical, injury, environmental emergencies, etc. It can be trusted because all the steps mentioned are suggested by AHA (American Heart Association).

P.S.: You never know when you may need it, so keep this one handy!

 

  1. Drugs.com

iPhone – 4.5 stars with 88 ratings –  Free of Cost
Android – 4.3 stars with 2,059 reviews – Free of Cost

 

 

drugs1

 

As the name itself suggests, the app is like the encyclopedia for medicines. When you need genuine information about a particular medicine, this is the app you go to!

Using this app you can do a lot of things such as personalizing your drug list and by doing so you can also keep a track of it too; check for medical information about different medicines for trusted results; browse through their extensive database of medicines; identify medicines by giving their imprint, shape, or color; etc. and a lot more! All-in-All its like a virtual drug store.

P.S.: Although you might not be on medicines but someone somewhere maybe, suggest this one to them!

 

  1. iTriage

iPhone – 4.5 stars with 26,696 ratings – Free of Cost
Android – 4.5 stars with 69,186 reviews – Free of Cost

 

 

itriage

iTriage is one app that we personally love, mainly because of its uniqueness. The app helps in searching for symptoms and finding potential causes; it recommends treatments and also suggests the best qualified doctors and facilities near your area. This app is so well equipped that if you’re in an emergency situation and need to rush for the ER or urgent care then this app will provide you with the average waiting time.

The app is also a database for the numbers of emergency hotlines, physician and nurse advice lines. You can also save all the information on the app itself for future use. So it contains information about almost everything from Health, Doctor, Symptoms to Healthcare Search. All-in-All, it’s like a virtual doctor.

P.S.: You need it or don’t, keep it handy; it’s always good to be prepared.

 

  1. My Diet Coach

iPhone – 4.5 stars with 956 ratings – Free of Cost
Android – 4.4 stars with 16,886 reviews – Free of Cost

 

 

Mydietcoach-1

This app is like a god sent angel for all the ladies because it acts as a virtual diet coach in many ways! When you decide to take up a weight loss plan, often it may so happen that you may feel demotivated and that’s exactly when this app will be of help to you.

Once you download the app you can, upload photos and notes that act as an inspiration for you, set reminders about what you have to eat & what you have to avoid and weight loss &/or fitness goals. To top that, you can also create a food and exercise journal and in all probability receive virtual prizes on achieving your targets!

P.S.: If you’re health conscious, then this is by far the best app you can get!

 

  1. Lumosity

iPhone – 5 stars with 80,817 ratings – Free of Cost

 

 

Lumosity

Lumosity is this uniquely impressive app which is a training program designed by neurologists to analyze your brain and then to help you improve your cognitive abilities. It does that with the help of its series of fun and challenging games by exercising different parts of your noggin. What is even better is that you can customize the experience and also keep a track of the progress of your brain profile. Unbelievably, the app has more than 40 games, 60 million members and paid subscribers from more than 180 nations.

P.S.: If you think you need something to keep your brain at its toes then this is “the app” for you!

 

  1. Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock

iPhone – 4.5 stars with 67, 134 ratings – USD 0.99

 

 

sleep-cycle

Does it so happen, you’re not able to hear the alarm and sleep you tend to sleep longer and when you wake up you feel even more tired and drowsy? Well that’s because when the alarm goes off your in the deepest moment of sleep hence you don’t hear it and feel tired after waking up. Well this app truly deserves a clap because it closely monitors your sleep movements and wakes you up when you’re in the lightest sleep phase. Once you’re awake it also provides you with sleep statistics and graphs to help you monitor your cycles and make notes.

Thus, you don’t have to worry about over sleeping and reaching work late. It also comes with a customizable window of 90 minutes.

P.S. If over-sleeping is your concern, then this your solution.

 

  1. HealthTap

iPhone – 4.5 stars with 919 ratings – Free of Cost
Android – 4.4 stars with 12,830 reviews – Free of Cost

 

 

healthtap1

Why limit yourself to one doctor when you can talk to 50,000 doctors in 137 specialties. This app is a database for doctors who contribute to discussions and providing suggestions apart from daily health tips.

So with the help of this app you can actually get the best path you need to follow and what makes it even more reliable is that it’s coming from an trusted source. Apart from the users the app has also received extremely positive reviews from Wall Street Journal and New York Times and to top that it is also listed on the Top 10 lists from CNN, CBS, and ABC.

P.S.: A handy doctor, can always come of use to you!

Now if you see, healthcare is one market which has yet not been fully tapped by technology from a user point of view and as a small opening has been seen by them, slowly techies are finding their way in. On the other-hand, there are millions of people who take health and fitness very seriously and don’t mind paying big bucks for it too, so these apps are turning out to be really beneficial for such. Thus it is obvious that the VC’s are bound to invest in such a market which is yet not cluttered and holds so much potential.

But what we now have to see is that; will the incoming of such apps wipe-out the existence of the physical doctors or will it create more opportunities for doctors and get them closer to each other?

What do you think?  Share your views with us.

Infographic: 11 Crazy Perks + Insane Salaries of Silicon Valley Interns

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Silicon Valley has always been the entrepreneurial hot spot of the world and has incubated numerous business startups.  It is a place where benchmarks are set every other day and over shadowed at the same pace. A recent buzz in the Silicon Valley is a similar effort of creating a benchmark that might bring about a change in the ways employees get paid.

According to reports from the most reliable resources, the Average monthly Salary paid this summer to an Intern by a Silicon Valley Giant (No, it’s not Facebook! It’s Palantir Technologies ) was as high as USD $7,012, and if you think that is all then you need to wake up and wipe out the crud from your eyes!

The Silicon Valley Santa clauses came early this year and have been giving bags of gifts to interns. The packages include lavish perks including accommodations, bikes, Swimming pools, massages and much more.

However, as we all know very well, mammoth firms of the Silicon or for that matter any organization do not pay someone more than what they would earn through them, it is surmised that all this is being done to get the best of the tech minds to join them and help them dominate their respective industries.

The companies that were said to have been showering insane perks and salaries include some of the biggest names in the IT and E-commerce industry. To name some it includes: Palantir Technologies, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, eBay, Google , Exxon Mobile, Adobe, Amazon, Apple and more.

The following infographic would update you with all that is happening and what types of incentives to look forward to if you are planning to join your dream company.

 

11 Insane Perks of Silicon Valley

 

I never thought I could buy this online!

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Have you ever heard you friends telling you about something they bought online and say “I never thought I could buy this online!”?

Since the last few years we have seen a massive hike or rather transformation in the technology. An environment which was once very hard to find is now easily accessible. Frankly, many factors ranging from online banking, availability of options, reliability, awareness amongst users, etc. has made the impossible, possible!

Now when we say transformation it implies to almost everything; for instance earlier socializing meant meeting people and now it means Facebook, twitter, Instagram, etc.; once upon a time research primarily meant asking people physically along with many different modes but now these social portals do the job, the industries which ran on paper such as magazines, news papers, etc have also almost ran out of business.

So many items which we never thought could make it online are now being bought and sold here. Below is a list of the list of these top ten items that have made it to the virtual world.

1. E-books

To being with, the inception of E-books happened with the launch of “Index Thomisticus” –prepared by Roberto Busa in the late 1940s. As shocking as this news was to us, so was the fact that over the period of time there have been contenders claiming to be the inventors of the first E-Book. Now as noble as the cause was, who would have thought to see books online? As a matter of fact, E-books are gaining so much momentum that the normal books are losing their charm and may get lost in time pretty soon.

2. Food

Now this was literally very difficult for most of us to digest, as to how this would practically be possible. First it began with existing brands like pizza hut, dominos, MacDonald’s, etc. letting their customers to order food through their websites and soon the model was capitalized by individual startups wherein they tied-up with all the major restaurants and if any order landed on these startup’s table then they would pass it on to their respective brands.

3. Tickets

Online ticket booking was a very vast genre to look at! It ranged from movies, buses, trains, flights, events, etc! Capturing this vast model required a lot of hard work and persistence. But with the world moving to the internet this model was bound to run and be successful. Again, it was initiated primarily by the movie theaters, respective travel companies, event companies, etc. but soon this model went viral and was ruthlessly adopted by the companies like BookMyShow, redBus, MakeMyTrip and many more, this goes back as far as the 90s.

4. Pharmacy

Pharmacy is a line of business which requires utmost care and safety. Unlike physically, here you cannot check prescriptions or for that matter you cannot suggest the correct medicines. But overcoming all the problems; since the year 2000, internet pharmacy business has grown massively and has saved many people from awkwardness. But the major problem lies with the websites who are supplying controlled medicines without a prescription.

5. Clothes

Although selling clothes online is the perfect model, looking at its necessity & craze but it is pretty difficult to imagine someone buying clothes without trying or checking the quality by themselves. But these issues very successfully resolved and as we see now, the clothing industry on the internet is flourishing. With its success there are many web stores like Shopclues or Shopify coming up providing apparels from multiple brands or websites. In fact, to keep up with the competition the clothing websites have started to create stores of themselves on marketplaces like Flipkart and Amazon, once a dead business running in losses is today a money printing machine.

6. Furniture

Furniture is one area where a lot goes into checking the quality before we purchase one! Except for a few small items, furniture at large simply cannot be bought till it is thoroughly checked, matched with the rest of the furniture, walls, etc! But defying all the rules of the past, the online industry successfully managed to do so. Some of the leading contenders in this industry are fabfurnish, Urbanladder, Craftsvilla and Homeshop18. Although this segment of the online market is still not fully explored but the percentage of people buying furniture online has been increasing. There is a lot of scope for new businesses to establish a trusted online brand in this line of business.

7. Real Estate

The mathematics here is a little different, although you don’t literally buy property of the internet (at least not before a physical visit) but this platform has definitely managed to bring the completely scattered real estate industry under one roof. With the boom in the internet industry and coincidentally at the same with the boom in the real estate industry; websites like magicbricks, 99acres and the newbie’s like commonfloor & housing.com have managed to capture the market making buying and renting properties much easier.

8. Grocery

A grocery store is a business which targets the daily life of every human being. As essential are clothes & homes, equally important are daily grocery requirements. Now with online stores like AmazonFresh, Prime Pantry or for that matter the king of all “Wallmart” coming in with all the luxuries and offers, the transformation is bound to happen. As per Wikipedia, the sales from the online grocers in Britain in 2012 were GBP 7.1 billion whereas in the U.S. in 2013 it was USD 15 billion and is expected to increase over the coming years. The primary market for the same currently is USA, Europe & Asia.

9. Electronic Gadgets

When we say electronic gadgets, we mean everything such as cell phones, laptops, stereos, etc. and the main reason for it to be on this list is because practically it is not possible for someone to just pay a huge amount to an unknown person for a product they are not sure would be as they expected or for that matter would even reach them. But with big and reputed brands such as Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, etc. vouching for them along with options like cash on delivery coming in place and most importantly highly secured payment gateway’s like PayPal being the mediator, it is becoming a safe environment to shop for electronic gadgets.

10. Matrimony

India is a country where no matter how many boys or girls they date, in the end they will marry the one who is selected by their parents only. Till a few years ago, this industry was dominated by the individual matchmakers or the typical aunties from every family but since the inception of Shaadi.com, bharatmatrimony.com & jeevansathi.com, these individuals have lost out on a lot of business. On the other hand, these websites have gained a huge amount of traction and turned out to be successful. With their success newbie’s like Floh, have launched themselves with unique business models wherein they don’t match-make or help in dating, they just organize classy events and functions and if you like someone you are welcome to talk to them and take things ahead. As per reports, this industry is expected to cross the INR 1500 crore mark by 2017.

 

All-in-All, technology is creating its own virtual world where almost everything is available. It is bridging the gap and bringing the world closer to each other. And most importantly, it is giving businesses a global platform where they can get a fair chance to get seen, to flourish, & to get big! So if you have a business model ready to get another product or service online from the offline world, it is the best time to start working on your ideas.

Of-course this is not a complete list and there would be many more areas, products or services that have changed the way you buy or get work done. What businesses, in your opinion were the ones which you never expected to see online and now have helped ease your work? Share your views with us.

Is Facebook becoming an app for the old?

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First, to be honest the answer is YES!

Let’s take a look why?

Facebook once used to be the playground for the young. They posted things they loved, they did, their secrets, their affairs and almost anything or everything they wanted to; they didn’t have the fear of anybody! Facebook was like a place where all the youth of the world gathered to meet. To sum it all, it was FUN PLACE TO BE!

And then the elders and the families invaded it and to top it all ads came in too. The things which once they posted without any fear was gone and everything they now posted was once being checked. So then what is the fate of Facebook?

Now before we move towards Facebook’s future, let’s take a look at its stats!

As expressed by CFO David Ebersman, a huge dip has been seen in the activity happening amongst the youth since a while. During the recent report submitted by iStrategyLabs which was made using the data from Facebook’s Social Advertising platform, approximately 3 ½ million Facebook users based in America ranging between the age group 13-17 along with roughly the same number of users between the age group 18-24 have actually left Facebook since 2011. And on the other hand, the older age groups between the ages 25 to 34 & 35 to 54 are seen to be joining Facebook or their activities have increased by roughly 33% & 42%  respectively but the major increase is being seen amongst the adults above the age group of 55 which has so far grown as much as 81%.

Facebook data

Now if you see Facebook is not loosing on business or for that matter becoming passé, all that is happening is the demographics are changing and the Facebook which was once limited to the youth is now becoming the trend amongst the elderly!

With the increase in the adults here, the teenagers are seen moving towards the other microblogging networks such as Tumblr, Snapchat, Instagram or for that matter Twitter!

Looking at the model Facebook is opting for their business it’s pretty obvious that they really don’t mind loosing the “coolness” to gain the masses and revenue and Mark Zuckerberg was also quoted saying the same to dailydot.com – “the company was shifting from being just a social network to “the best personalized newspaper in the world.”

Let’s take a look at certain facts by comparing the young and the old!

Last when it was checked in 2013, twitter had 50 percent users who were younger than 35years of age. Now a recent research stated that Facebook saw a two years increase in the age group of the users and twitter saw roughly two year decrease in the age group of its users. So looking at the trend and as per the statistics twitter is gaining more popularity amongst the teens whereas Facebook amongst the adults. And if this continued a few years down the line, Facebook which was once considered for the youth will soon be the garden for the adults!

Now, it goes without saying that if you are marketing your product you need to keep your target audience in mind but soon with the changing trend it would become more clear if you have to market on twitter(teens) or Facebook (adults).

This concludes that twitter has obviously taken over the youth and is now competing with the other emerging networks like Instagram (which by-the-way is also owned by Facebook), snapchat, etc!

Another major reason for the drastic switch is the increase in the usage of the mobile apps. So going by this theory it is safe to assume that soon twitter would also be replaced by the emerging apps and the ones which might come in future. And reports suggest the same too, a latest survey projected huge switch from Facebook to the mobile based social networking apps such as WeChat, SnapChat and WhatsApp but amongst them the one which ruled was WeChat, which reported a huge 1026% growth in 2013.

Now, it is clearly evident that Facebook is becoming old but the question is, is it bad for them?

Well, frankly speaking we beg to differ but the answer is NO!

Although, there is a drastic switch of users to different channels but does that mean that the users of Facebook is reducing or is it affecting their revenues, no right? And if we look at the broader picture, it is actually beneficial for Facebook.

Confused?

Look at it this way, earlier the users which Facebook had were between the age group of 13-24 but these were the ones which are the weakest spenders and didn’t have any money. So even though they were madly using Facebook, they would not have been able to help Facebook earn money.

Now to look at it from the company’s point of view, these were the users which actually helped Facebook create the strong madness and craze amongst the masses. And thus the ads came into picture. However, as this age group does not have the sole power of spending money, these ads were pointless. So with the new set of users which had the capacity to spend and understand the ads being featured, these ads were now getting some relevant visibility and sense.

As far as data is concerned, 90% of the commercial activity that takes place is generated by the ones who are above the age of 25. So this trend was and is reassurance for the advertisers that they were not simply wasting their money. And according to study conducted by Adobe System, advertisers paid 29% more per click for the Facebook ads in 2013 as compared to 2012 and at the same time their overall ad impression grew by 92%.

Now on the other hand, Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to buy Instagram for USD 1-billion in 2012 was a very smart move. Instagram accounted to 75 million daily users late last year and that number almost doubled when we calculated it on a monthly basis. So, this literally gave him access and control to both the age groups.

To top that, the last quarter sales of Facebook were up by more than 63% and their per share income increased to a massive 80% along with that, just their mobile advertising itself accounted for more than half of the company’s revenue which also hiked to as much as 23%.

CONCLUSION….

So when we connect the dots, yes it is true that Facebook is getting old, the youth do not want to sign-up for Facebook but in reality, Facebook and its users are getting mature, it’s getting more streamlined and the target audience is changing; thus the advertisers are also willing to pay more! And to all those worrying about the stocks of Facebook going down, this should give them a sigh of relief!