Expert review for iPad Air

The Apple Inc. has not reinvented the wheel with the iPad Air but the thinner device, priced higher than many of its competitors. A major improvement on a successful product, the reviewers said.

Writing for the Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg called the iPad Air the best tablet he has ever reviewed.

"That isn't just because of its slimmer, lighter design, but because Apple boasts 475,000 apps optimized for tablet use - far more than any other tablet platform," according to Mossberg.

The new full-sized iPad goes on sale from Friday and will be priced starting $499. The New York Times writer Damon Darlin said that the iPad Air is lighter than its predecessors, adding that the gadget is a delight to use.

Reviewer David Pogue, who recently left the New York Times to start a new consumer-tech website at Yahoo, said the iPad Air is "a fantastic leap into the future if you're upgrading from an original iPad, or if you've never owned a tablet before."However, all three reviewers highlighted that the iPad Air is pricier than many of its competitors.

"Do you need to plunk down $500 or more for an Air if you already have an earlier version of the iPad?," Darlin asked, calling the improvements on the new device "incremental, not revolutionary." Amazon.com said that the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX costs $379, Microsoft's Surface 2 starts from $449, while Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 10.1-inch tablet has a suggested retail price of $400.

Pogue said that given the price, an iPad probably does not need replacing every year or even every other year. Mossberg concluded: "Bottom line: If you can afford it, the new iPad Air is the tablet I recommend, hands down."

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Posted in Apple, iPad Air, iPad air price, iPad review, Microsoft, Samsung, Tablets

Hunger Games: Catching Fire - for iOS and Android

 The Reliance Games and Lionsgate have announced the next chapter in The Hunger Games saga to mobile devices (Android and iOS). 

Hunger Games: Catching Fire Game

It's based on the film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which opened in theatres worldwide on last November, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Panem Run mobile game puts the movie's action in the palms of players' hands. The game will employ both competitive and social elements, allowing players to challenge fellow Hunger Games fans to see who can bring glory to their District, achieve the greatest distance, and attain the highest score.

"With its epic story of struggling for survival, The Hunger Games franchise lets us recreate the competitive world of Panem in a social mobile game," said Manish Agarwal, CEO of Reliance Games. "In partnering with Lionsgate, we'll build a community of Hunger Games fans, teaming up to face unique challenges together as they run through the Districts of Panem.""

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Panem Run mobile game it's a fun and exciting complement to the film's spectacular action and story," said Danielle De Palma, Lionsgate Senior Vice President of Digital Marketing.

You can download the Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Panem Run, via Google Play and iTunes app stores.

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Posted in android, app release, Apple, Apple apps, application, apps, gadget, ios, iPad mini, Samsung

Apple "World's Most Valuable" by Forbes

Apple logo : Photo bostinno.co

Apple has topped the 'World's Most Valuable List' compiled by Forbes magazine with a brand value of $104.3 billion, nearly twice other technology major Microsoft, which has a brand value of $56.7 billion.

"The Apple name is as strong as ever. Apple is the most valuable brand in the world for a third straight time at $104.3 billion, up 20 percent over last year. It is worth nearly twice as much as any other brand on the planet by our count," Forbes said. Meanwhile, Microsoft's brand value has remained flat over the past three years, as the company struggles to make a transition from PC to the mobile world, the magazine said.

"Growth has slowed, but it is still one of the most profitable brands in the world with operating margins of 34 percent in its latest fiscal year," it said.With a brand value of $54.9 billion, Coca-Cola was ranked third in the list, followed by IBM ($50.7 billion), Google ($47.3 billion).

Among the top 10 brands, McDonald's, with a brand value of $39.4 billion, was ranked sixth, followed by General Electric ($34.2 billion), Intel ($30.9 billion), Samsung ($29.5 billion) and Louis Vuitton ($28.4 billion).Brands from US-based companies make up just over half of the list of 100, with the next biggest representation from Germany (nine brands), France (eight) and Japan (seven). Technology brands are the most prevalent with 19, including six of the top 10.Samsung, which came at No.9, had the strongest one-year gain of any brand in the top 100, up 53 percent to $29.5 billion. The company's value soared 136 percent over the past three years.

"Sales for Samsung's Galaxy S4 smartphone have been on fire and the company also benefits from its market leading position with memory chips," Forbes said.

Forbes, however, said the value of a brand can collapse in the complex, fast moving technology world. Forbes had valued the Blackberry brand at $6.1 billion last year, but this year it stood at just $2.2 billion and has come out of the top 100 brands list.Similarly, three years ago, Forbes had deemed the Nokia brand worth $27.3 billion, ninth highest in the world, while today it is worth $7 billion, which ranks the company at the 71st place.

Forbes valued the brands on three years of earnings and allocated a percentage of those earnings based on the role brands play in each industry. The 100 most valuable brands span 15 countries across 20 broad industry categories.

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Posted in Apple, Blackberry, Forbes, gadget, mobile, Nokia, Samsung