Month: August 2013

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Samsung Teases BBM For Android As BlackBerry Further Telegraphs Its BBM Platform Play

bbm-money

Samsung is using the upcoming launch of BBM for Android (still just “coming soon”) to promote its Galaxy devices, Samsung App Store and Messaging Hub in a new release targeting the African market. BlackBerry is in on the push, with the two entering into an agreement to jointly market the service to African mobile customers. It’s a hint at what BlackBerry wants to do with BBM, now that it’s opening access to its proprietary messaging platform.

BBM has long been a staple in terms of one-to-one communication on mobile devices, and recently BlackBerry debuted BBM Groups, which allow for one-to-many broadcasts using the same messaging tools BBM users are used to. Especially in some key developing markets, including Indonesia and Africa, BBM has underpinned not only communication, but local commerce and business as well as a pretty much universal means of communication that’s more reliable, more affordable and potentially more trustworthy than SMS.

The tag-team promotional efforts are telling: they show that not only is BlackBerry releasing its messenger for users on iOS and Android, it’s going to be actively involved in promoting that availability, even where it seems to run counter to its own interests. Samsung benefits here by being able to offer users new to its platform a familiar and trusted means of communication, giving them even more reason to continue to migrate away from dedicated BlackBerry devices; what BlackBerry gains isn’t so immediately apparent.

BlackBerry is looking at a dwindling user base, both for its devices and across its services, so what it gains from the deal is access to a growth market. Giving up the BBM platform advantage may cause some to scratch their heads, but it’s not much of an advantage anymore, which is clear from the dwindling BlackBerry market share. At this point, it matters little if the company adds fuel to the fire by expanding availability to iOS and Android devices.

In terms of potential upside, BlackBerry could lock in more users for a platform that could become very valuable in terms of data, advertising and other initiatives like BBM Money. If, in partnering with competitors to reach more users, it makes it easier for a few platform-jumpers, that’s a small price to pay at this stage in the game.


TechCrunch » android

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TC Alum Drew Olanoff Talks To The Conan O’Brien Show About Google Glass

Screen Shot 2013-08-06 at 8.32.12 AM

It’s with a tear in my eye that I share this little snippet with you – our own Drew Olanoff, who now works at Yahoo! with most of the rest of Palo Alto, talking to Conan O’Brien about Google Glass. Drew (the Drewster we called him) runs through some of the cooler features including how to make a call, how to find directions, and, in the end, how to go with grace and dignity.

We miss you, Drew, and we’re so proud you’re on the TV. Write us?



TechCrunch » Gadgets

Posted on

Samsung Teases BBM For Android As BlackBerry Further Telegraphs Its BBM Platform Play

bbm-money

Samsung is using the upcoming launch of BBM for Android (still just “coming soon”) to promote its Galaxy devices, Samsung App Store and Messaging Hub in a new release targeting the African market. BlackBerry is in on the push, with the two entering into an agreement to jointly market the service to African mobile customers. It’s a hint at what BlackBerry wants to do with BBM, now that it’s opening access to its proprietary messaging platform.

BBM has long been a staple in terms of one-to-one communication on mobile devices, and recently BlackBerry debuted BBM Groups, which allow for one-to-many broadcasts using the same messaging tools BBM users are used to. Especially in some key developing markets, including Indonesia and Africa, BBM has underpinned not only communication, but local commerce and business as well as a pretty much universal means of communication that’s more reliable, more affordable and potentially more trustworthy than SMS.

The tag-team promotional efforts are telling: they show that not only is BlackBerry releasing its messenger for users on iOS and Android, it’s going to be actively involved in promoting that availability, even where it seems to run counter to its own interests. Samsung benefits here by being able to offer users new to its platform a familiar and trusted means of communication, giving them even more reason to continue to migrate away from dedicated BlackBerry devices; what BlackBerry gains isn’t so immediately apparent.

BlackBerry is looking at a dwindling user base, both for its devices and across its services, so what it gains from the deal is access to a growth market. Giving up the BBM platform advantage may cause some to scratch their heads, but it’s not much of an advantage anymore, which is clear from the dwindling BlackBerry market share. At this point, it matters little if the company adds fuel to the fire by expanding availability to iOS and Android devices.

In terms of potential upside, BlackBerry could lock in more users for a platform that could become very valuable in terms of data, advertising and other initiatives like BBM Money. If, in partnering with competitors to reach more users, it makes it easier for a few platform-jumpers, that’s a small price to pay at this stage in the game.

TechCrunch » Gadgets

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Protag Elite Is A Rechargeable Bluetooth Card That Keeps Tabs On Your Valuables

PROTAG Elite_wallet

After Tile raised $ 2.6 million in its crowdfunding campaign for a Bluetooth Low Energy-powered tagging tech for tracking valuable items, it was only a matter of time before others jumped aboard the bandwagon. Now to be fair to Innova Technology, they were in this game already — with their first-gen Protag tracking card device. But they’ve now beefed up the offering with a Bluetooth 4.0 product called Protag Elite.

The key difference between Protag Elite and its predecessor is much improved battery life — thanks to the new, more efficient flavour of Bluetooth. Instead of a single charge lasting a few hours, the Protag Elite is good for a year’s use on a single charge — which tallies with Tile’s longevity.

However, Tile is not rechargeable. Instead users are alerted when it’s nearing the end of its functional life — and have to purchase a replacement Tile to keep on keeping tabs on their stuff. With Protag Elite, there are no recurring costs as the tag can simply be recharged via USB — taking around 1.5 hours to be fully topped up and good to go for another year. Or so say its makers.

Tile is charging $ 25 per tile, which is cheaper than the Protag Elite’s price-tag but remember that only buys you one year of use. Assuming you treat your Protag Elite well, and don’t somehow manage to lose it (ha), or drop it down the toilet, it should be keeping tabs on your valuables for years, plural. It will be available for $ 29 to the first 1,000 backers of Innova’s impending Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign — which kicks off tomorrow, seeking to raise $ 100,000 — after which the device is clearly going to cost more. How much more will be key to figuring out which system — Tile or Protag Elite — offers the best value for tracking your valuables. Update: The Protag Elite will retail for $ 79, so you’ll need to get multiple years’ use out of it get your money’s worth — or really fancy its particular feature set over Tile’s.

In terms of features there’s plenty of overlap between the two — including the latter’s plan to add a ‘crowd tracking’ feature in December that will allow other Protag owners to be on the hunt for your lost valuables, a la Tile’s plans to leverage a distributed network of Tile users to find lost items. Both also have a radar-style graphical system for tracking down nearby valuables. Protag Elite allows for up to 10 valuables to be tracked on a single phone within a range of 100 feet, while Tile’s range is 100-150 feet. Both systems support iPhone and Android (limited to the newer devices which also support Bluetooth 4.0).

But there are some differences between Tile and Protag Elite too. Protag Elite includes a proximity warning, which can alert you (via your smartphone) when you move out of range of the tag. So, for instance, you could put the tag in your bag and then get an alert when you’ve left the house to go back and get it. An in-home Wi-Fi alert-free zone can be configured, so you’re not constantly being alerted as you move about your house. Tile doesn’t have this, but does include a feature letting you ring a tile to try to figure out where you put your keys/wallet/bag etc. 

Tile also has a more compact form than the Protag Elite, being matchbook-sized. It also has a hole in it so it can be easily hooked onto a keychain or even a pet’s collar — vs the larger, thinner Protag, which looks like it’s been designed to be slotted into a wallet, much like a credit card, or tucked into a bag pocket.

Protag also includes a cloud system for tracking the smartphone to which you have downloaded the corresponding tracking app — so you can log in to your Protag Trace account via another device that’s still in your possession to view the last known location of your phone on a map. The software also lets you lock the phone, send a message and snap a photo — much like other device tracking systems such as Apple’s find my iPhone, so the software may be duplicating existing smartphone functionality, depending on which device you own.

TechCrunch » Gadgets