With American Thanskgiving under our belts, somewhat literally, many of us have turned thoughts to the next big event. If you were thinking Christmas, this article is for you, but if you were thinking about ‘best of’ lists for 2014, you’re thinking what Google is thinking.
The Google Play Store now has their Best Apps of 2014 page up and running.
Google is not the only ones to share favorite apps lists, as I am sure most of our readers are familiar, every week our apps guy Joe Hindy puts out a segment called Google Play Weekly. Also, I promise, we’ve got our own best of lists for 2014 coming soon.
Included in Google’s best of 2014 list are some of your favorite apps, many of which are more than expected to make this list, including Link Bubble, IFTTT, SoundHound, Secretand Google Fit.
A few of the apps on the list that were not as expected, include Frontback, Monki, Obscure and Rundavoo. Not to suggest that these apps are not worthy of Google’s best of 2014 list, just that there is a good chance many have never heard of these apps. That said, there are no games on this list, leading us to believe that Google will have more ‘best of’ lists coming.
Be sure to check out Google’s Best Apps of 2014 list, then stay tuned for many more best of lists to come soon.
Are there any surprises for you on Google’s Best Apps of 2014 list?
11/30/2014
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I can see your Hailo. After crashing out of US, can taxi app find new life in Japan?
![[IMG]](https://www-techinasia.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/hailo-japan-taxi-e1417413465560-720x540.jpg)
Transportation apps are creating some of the most heated tech rivalries across the globe, and Asia is no exception. Here on Tech in Asia, local players like India’s Ola and Malaysia’s GrabTaxi tend to occupy headlines, as homegrown competitors crop up against the global behemoth that is Uber. But our readers probably aren’t aware that Hailo – the UK’s darling black cab app, which recently pulled out of New York city – has been active in Japan since 2013.
Followers of transportation network companies in Asia can be forgiven for the oversight. For over a year, Hailo has spun its wheels in Osaka, Japan’s third-largest city, and hasn’t yet expanded into Tokyo or other areas. The company chalks this up to management issues, but is hoping that appointing a new CEO, formally announced today, will put the car in high gear.
“We’re going to be a new Hailo, with new investors just for the Japanese operation,” says Ryo Umezawa, who assumed the role of president and CEO last August after working as the startup’s general manager in Japan. “I’ve done my own successful startups, so I’m ready to become the CEO of a global startup. I’ll use my experience as an entrepreneur, a VC, and an angel investor in this new role.”
Umezawa’s experience in the startup community is extensive. He’s worked for Tokyo-based incubator J-Seed Ventures for almost a decade, assisting young startups with marketing and business development. He helped build an iPhone advertising network and companion app at TrafficGate (now owned by Rakuten), and also runs his own marketing startup while serving as an angel investor in several others.
![[IMG]](https://www-techinasia.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/RyoUmezawa-720x720.jpg)
Umezawa says that the Hailo Japan’s decision to enter Osaka first, rather than the capital of Tokyo, was a deliberate tactic.
“Osaka is a more controlled area, there’s a lot of small and medium taxi corporations, and the radio system is about to switch from analog to digital, so we thought it would provide the best chance for us to come in,” says Umezawa. “We can help local taxis raise revenue, as Osaka fares are cheaper than in Tokyo. We thought we’d contribute more to Osaka first as a pilot, then enter Tokyo for full throttle activity.”
Hailo claims to have 500 cars in Osaka on its network – which Umezawa claims exceeds that of UberTaxi in Tokyo (Uber Japan declined to share the number of vehicles it has there) – through partnerships with about 40 taxi companies and independent taxi drivers. “We’re going to pump in a few hundred more independent drivers soon,” Umezawa says.
Key partner
One obstacle that taxi apps face in Japan – especially those that work exclusively with street cabs – is poor smartphone penetration among drivers. Umezawa says that in Osaka, only 10 to 20 percent of taxi drivers own a smartphone – likely because most drivers are over 50 years old.
Hailo Japan attracted a key partner and investor to work around this obstacle. Hikari Tsushin (Tokyo: 9435) a Japanese telecommunications, advertising, and insurance firm, will sell discounted smartphone packages direct to Hailo drivers. This recalls Uber’s policy of giving its drivers free handsets or tablets in order to get them on the network. In addition, the company has injected an undisclosed sum directly into Hailo Japan – not the parent company in London (which fully funded the subsidiary’s initial entry to Japan). Umezawa says the funding is in the seven-figure US dollar range.
“Getting smartphones to drivers is key,” Umezawa says. “Then, we have to balance user acquisition to provide jobs for our drivers.”
Umezawa didn’t share details on revenue or exact booking frequency for Hailo in Osaka, but he says that the startup only takes its 10 percent cut if a driver accepts a fare, adding that “good drivers” are getting five or six Hailo riders a day. He also says it was easy to attract the typically conservative taxi companies by showing them the startup’s track record in London and other markets. Umezawa says that Hailo has already increased sales with partner companies, which serves as ammunition for expansion to other cities.
Hailo Japan plans to spread out to the greater Kansai area and Tokyo early next year, but Umezawa wouldn’t specify which city will receive the service first. Beyond Japan, the company recently expanded into Singapore – where it will face competition from EasyTaxi, GrabTaxi, and Uber, but also might gain enough visibility to score cash from Southeast Asian investors.
See: Car-on-demand company Uber unveils world’s first UberTaxiLux in Tokyo
This post I can see your Hailo. After crashing out of US, can taxi app find new life in Japan? appeared first on Tech in Asia.
Singapore’s MoneySmart heads to Indonesia with acquisition of regional counterpart
![[IMG]](https://www-techinasia.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/moneysmart-acquires-kreditaja-720x467.jpeg)
Singapore-based personal finance portal MoneySmart today announced its entry into Indonesia with the acquisition of its regional counterpart KreditAja. The acquisition was a full equity deal, with the latter taking a minority stake in MoneySmart.
Since it was founded a year ago, KreditAja’s 11-man team has seen north of a million visitors, which will now be added to MoneySmart’s half a million monthly visitors. MoneySmart CEO Vinod Nair reveals that MoneySmart has a current annual revenue of over S$1 million (US$800,000).
With regards to both traffic and revenue, he adds that both figures have “almost tripled” since MoneySmart’s last funding round in 2013, when it raised S$589,000 (US$471,000) from Golden Gate Ventures and NRF.
Both parties have partnerships with major financial institutions in the region. KreditAja also currently powers Indonesia ecommerce marketplace Berniaga’s auto loan comparison feature, and has a number of similarly sized partnerships in the pipeline for early 2015, according to a statement.
“MoneySmart is already a well-known brand in Singapore, and bringing the two businesses together gives us a fantastic platform to move forward quickly with our development plans in Indonesia,” says KreditAja CEO Rob Barnes.
Nair tells Tech in Asia that KreditAja will be centrally managed by a combined management team based in Singapore. Moving in 2015, both teams will be growing their product coverage, with an emphasis on insurance products.
See: DrWealth bags $640,000, aims to have an account for every household in Singapore
This post Singapore’s MoneySmart heads to Indonesia with acquisition of regional counterpart appeared first on Tech in Asia.
Chuwi VX1 – A 7 inch Quad-core 3G Tablet Phone review
Chuwi VX1 – A 7 inch Quad-core 3G Tablet Phone
Specifications:
- OS: Android 4.2
- Screen: 7 inch, IPS, Capacitive, 1280 x 800
- CPU: MTK8382 Cortex-A7 Quad-core ARMv7 Processor, 1.3GHz
- GPU: Mali-400 MP2
- RAM: 1GB
- ROM: 16GB
- 3G: 3G & UMTS, WCDMA 2100MHz
- 2G Network Frequency: 850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 1900MHz
- Camera: 8MP back camera , 0.3MP front camera
- Battery Capacity: 3000mAh
- Net Weight: 280g
- Size: 190 x 106 x 6mm
PROS:
- Fast and Smooth performance
- Comes with the new mt8382 quad core processor
- Ultra Narrow Bezel makes for more screen space
- More enjoyable internet experience
- Built in 3G Support
- Slim and Gorgeous Ergonomics
Learn more: http://www.tinydeal.com/chuwi-vx1-7-ogs-android-422-mtk8382-quad-core-3g-phablet-p-122305.html
CHUWI has debuted an ultra cheap tablet today, a Windows 8.1 model called the Vi8
Asian brand CHUWI has debuted an ultra cheap tablet today, a Windows 8.1 model called the Vi8. The product is priced at $82 and it seems to have a pretty appealing design, judging by the image below. The specs are pretty predictable, but they’re also pretty good.
We’ve got an 8 inch IPS display on the CHUWI Vi8, with a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution and inside we find an Intel Z3735F quad core processor. There’s 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of ROM included as well and this model runs authorized Windows 8.1 out of the box, plus it comes with preinstalled Office 365, available for free for 1 year. The team at CHUWI is also preparing an Android ROM for the slate.
The product goes on sale in early December and sounds very good. Too bad we have no info on its battery, cameras or connectivity… I’m guessing a 4000+ mAh unit is inside, as well as at least a 2 or 5 MP camera and WiFi and Bluetooth are in the mix. Is this really the cheapest Windows 8.1 tablet in the world? Drop a comment if you know a cheaper one!
11/27/2014
7.85" HD Quad-core Windows 8.1 Tablet review
7.85" HD Quad-core Windows 8.1 Tablet
Witness impeccable detail on the 7.85 inch, HD display and navigate with a tap, slide, swipe or pinch on the multi-touch screen. Share HD thrills with wideviewing angles that allow multiple viewers to see HD content in stunning detail, simultaneously.
Powered by Intel Atom Bay Trail-T Z3735G quad-core processor, the Windows tablet is faster than ever. Now you’ll be able to use multiple programs simultaneously without a hint of lag – and you won’t be short on programs.
Take great photos and shoot video with the 1.3 MP front-facing lens or video chat with the 2 MP rear-facing camera.
Simplify connections to a compatible mouse, external keyboard or other accessories with the speed and convenience of Bluetooth. Or sync up some compatible Bluetooth speakers for great sound without the wires.
The Windows 8.1 tablet offers 16GB of onboard memory and includes a microSD card slot that allows you to add up to 32GB of additional memory, making it easy to store more songs, videos, photos, and games.
http://www.tinydeal.com/785-windows-...-p-141820.html
Witness impeccable detail on the 7.85 inch, HD display and navigate with a tap, slide, swipe or pinch on the multi-touch screen. Share HD thrills with wideviewing angles that allow multiple viewers to see HD content in stunning detail, simultaneously.
Powered by Intel Atom Bay Trail-T Z3735G quad-core processor, the Windows tablet is faster than ever. Now you’ll be able to use multiple programs simultaneously without a hint of lag – and you won’t be short on programs.
Take great photos and shoot video with the 1.3 MP front-facing lens or video chat with the 2 MP rear-facing camera.
Simplify connections to a compatible mouse, external keyboard or other accessories with the speed and convenience of Bluetooth. Or sync up some compatible Bluetooth speakers for great sound without the wires.
The Windows 8.1 tablet offers 16GB of onboard memory and includes a microSD card slot that allows you to add up to 32GB of additional memory, making it easy to store more songs, videos, photos, and games.
http://www.tinydeal.com/785-windows-...-p-141820.html
Jolla Hits 3x Target for Crowdfunded iPad Alternative
For another 15 days, Jolla’s is still running their crowdfunded campaign for making the world’s “first people powered tablet” running Sailfish OS 2.0. Since Sailfish is open source, you can change whatever you like, whenever you like. On the crowdfunded project site, Jolla highlights open source with no backdoors (or anything third parties can use for monitoring), their privacy philosophy, easy multitasking on Sailfish, super fast interaction, natural hand movement recognition via gestures, and since Sailfish runs Android apps, pretty much every kind of mobile app you could ever need. Check out the hardware specs – pretty impressive features at half the price of similar tablets.
Discounted to $209 USD from the expected retail price of $249, you can be one of the first to receive a Jolla Tablet. Currently available in USA, EU, Norway, Switzerland, India, China, Hong Kong, Russia, Australia and Canada.
To contribute to this crowdfunded project, just hit this link → Crowdfunded Jolla Tablet
11/26/2014
A76 7" HD Screen Android 4.2.2 MTK6572 Dual-core 4GB 3G Phablet review
$67.36 for A76 7" HD Screen Android 4.2.2 MTK6572 Dual-core 4GB 3G Phablet
AMPE A695 MTK8382 Quad-core Android 4.4 3G Phablet review
$96.91 for AMPE A695 6.95" IPS Screen Android 4.4 MTK8382 Quad-core 3G Phablet
ZOOZ N910F Note4 Smartphone 5.7 Inch Android 4.4 MTK6582 Quad Core 8GB review
ZOOZ N910F Note4 Smartphone 5.7 Inch Android 4.4 MTK6582 Quad Core 8GB-$142.99
Writing and drawing with tablet? Come to use PIPO W5!
Writing and drawing with tablet? Come to use PIPO W5!
) would be much appreciated![SOLVED] - Rockchip Rockusb Driver for Windows Pro 8.1 64bit !!!
[SOLVED] - Rockchip Rockusb Driver for Windows Pro 8.1 64bit !!!
11/25/2014
iPhone 6 4K, Samsung changes, Snapdragon 810 & more - Pocketnow Daily
iPhone 6 4K, Samsung changes, Snapdragon 810 & more - Pocketnow Daily
Stories: - Luxury watch brands square off against copycat smartwatch faces http://pocketnow.com/2014/11/24/smartwatch-face-copyright - Let's all drool over this Qual...
Crysis 3 Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 980 DSR 4K UltraHD Benchmark
Crysis 3 Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 980 DSR 4K UltraHD Benchmark
Gigabyte g1 gaming gtx 980 i7-4790k Crysis 3 DSR 4K UltraHD На моем ИГРОВОМ такие видео выходят намного раньше, ПОДПИШИСЬ: https://www.youtube.co...
GoPro: Tomorrowland in 4K
GoPro: Tomorrowland in 4K
The fifth of the HERO4: The Adventure of Life in 4K series. New episode every Tuesday. Two friends are dreaming of experiencing something different in their lives, s...
11/23/2014
Moto X (2nd gen) Android 5.0 "Lollipop" Tour!
Moto X (2nd gen) Android 5.0 "Lollipop" Tour!
http://www.droid-life.com - We have Android 5.0 "Lollipop" up and running on our new Moto X (2nd gen). It's glorious. You need to see this. If you own the "P...
Android 5.0 Lollipop Review
Android 5.0 Lollipop Review
The Verge reviews Android 5.0 Lollipop, including its new features and the big visual overhaul known as "material design." Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/...
Les 5 nouveautés d’Android 5.0 Lollipop
Les 5 nouveautés d’Android 5.0 Lollipop
La vidéo du jour chaque matin à 7h sur : http://www.01netTV.com La toute dernière version d'Android a été déployée sur quelques appareils dont le Nexus 5 de G...
Android Lollipop's best feature is its automatic setup process
Android Lollipop's best feature is its automatic setup process
Android 5.0 Lollipop has a lot of cool new features, but the most helpful is the new setup routine that makes migrating to a new device silky smooth. Press play to s...
Microsoft Introduces Skype Chat To Office Web Apps
Microsoft continues in their effort to make co-authoring documents as well as projects a wee bit easier than usual, having introduced Skype chat to their collection of Office web apps. The Office Online real-time chat feature will play nice with both Word and Powerpoint at this point in time, which means those who rely on the number crunching Excel are left out of the equation at this point in time. However, it is not beyond reason to have expectations that this might very well change some time down the road.
In the most recent update, it does seem as though Microsoft themselves are working to compete against the likes of Google in order to deliver what could very well be one of the most competitive cloud services for both consumer and enterprise markets. Since the chat function would make use of Skype, it will continue to be compatible with the other various versions of Skype, which will also include mobile apps, ensuring that users have a greater degree of mobility when it comes to synchronizing on their work on a particular document. Simultaneous real-time editing would definitely be handy for those road warriors who are constantly moving up and about, don’t you think so? [Press Release]
The Aura, a Kickstarter project, will feature an accompanying smartphone app that will enable to users to control the lights via their smartphone
Wireless charging is one particular step in the right direction that I am quite sure many gadget enthusiasts cannot wait to see implemented in various ways, as it would certainly help reduce the amount of pesky cables that normally snake across the entire floor. Having said that, how about wireless powered Christmas lights? This is what Aura is all about, being the first wirelessly powered Christmas lights ever in the world.
How does Aura work? Well, it will feature a ring that wraps itself around a Christmas tree, which in turn will connect with the smart bulbs so that users are able to control it without the need for any wires. As for the ring, it functions as the source of power for the bulbs, and in turn, this goes some way to help reduce the risks for fire.
The Aura, a Kickstarter project, will feature an accompanying smartphone app that will enable to users to control the lights via their smartphone. The app is also capable of allowing users to program schedule so that it can turn itself on or off at a selected times. Right now, this smartphone app has been programmed to run on the Windows Phone, Android and iOS platforms.
Filed in . Read more about , crowdfunding and kickstarter.
Wireless charging is one particular step in the right direction that I am quite sure many gadget enthusiasts cannot wait to see implemented in various ways, as it would certainly help reduce the amount of pesky cables that normally snake across the entire floor. Having said that, how about wireless powered Christmas lights? This is what Aura is all about, being the first wirelessly powered Christmas lights ever in the world.
How does Aura work? Well, it will feature a ring that wraps itself around a Christmas tree, which in turn will connect with the smart bulbs so that users are able to control it without the need for any wires. As for the ring, it functions as the source of power for the bulbs, and in turn, this goes some way to help reduce the risks for fire.
The Aura, a Kickstarter project, will feature an accompanying smartphone app that will enable to users to control the lights via their smartphone. The app is also capable of allowing users to program schedule so that it can turn itself on or off at a selected times. Right now, this smartphone app has been programmed to run on the Windows Phone, Android and iOS platforms.
Bing Goes HD
If you happen to be a huge fan of the homepage images over on Bing, then here is some good news for you – the folks over at Microsoft have finally announced that Bing’s homepage will how feature high definition images of up to 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, in addition to a slew of other upcoming features, of course.
Do take note that this is not something new, as users of Bing have long been asking for high resolution images over on the Bing site, including the fantastic looking images that have been depicted from time to time. To see the jump to 1080p while having the images shown off in widescreen format is definitely something else altogether. Apart from this rather obvious improvement, there are also new image captions that help users to obtain additional information concerning the image that they are looking at, alongside an improved design to boot.
Microsoft has also worked to modify the Bing page accordingly in order for users to so that users are able to keep track of details such as stocks, news, weather and flights straight from the homepage in a carousel manner. Of course, I am quite sure that there are others who would prefer something more minimal, which would then enable one to remove the carousel in its entirety. Access to the entire Office Online suite is also now part of the mix, and do expect to see the new Bing HD homepage made available across close to all markets. [Press Release]
11/20/2014
ShareOn wants to make file transfers and file sharing less of a headache
Figuring out the cloud and home networking is, to the average person, a bit like reading an essay on the latest innovations in brain surgery. Many of our gadgets might be smart, but the people using them, myself included, are often baffled when it comes to getting those devices to talk to each other.
Even something that should be easy, like sharing our own photos between friends and their gadgets, can be confusing, leading people to resort to emailing stuff to someone who’s in the same room. A Korean startup is trying to make this easier with a free app called ShareOn.
“Sure, Airdrop works great between iPhones and Macs, but sharing files between iOS and Android has always been a hassle,” says Anton Eliasson, the Swedish PR guy at the Korean startup, called Spika, that makes ShareOn. ShareOn adds PCs into the mix, and a version for Mac OS X is in the works. There isn’t a dedicated app for smart TVs, but the app – available for iOS and Android – should detect any smart TVs in the room that use the DLNA protocol.
ShareOn zaps photos, videos, and music files between devices. It requires a free sign-up, but after that it’s fairly simple – and a lot easier than most home networking set-ups involving routers, bridges, and goodness knows what. “The files themselves are not uploaded to the server. How ShareOn works is that it creates a direct connection between the different devices,” explains Eliasson. “The only information that goes through our server is account, file size, name, etc., not the files themselves. This information is encrypted partially at the moment and will be fully encrypted soon and is deleted after seven days.”
In my test using ShareOn on an iPhone and a Nexus 7, it was pretty straightforward to get, for example, all of my iPhone photos from the Camera Roll to show up on my Nexus 7 – and it only took a minute for all of them to show up on my tablet.
![[IMG]](https://www-techinasia.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/shareon-app-for-peer-to-peer-file-sharing-pic-1.jpg)
Even something that should be easy, like sharing our own photos between friends and their gadgets, can be confusing, leading people to resort to emailing stuff to someone who’s in the same room. A Korean startup is trying to make this easier with a free app called ShareOn.
“Sure, Airdrop works great between iPhones and Macs, but sharing files between iOS and Android has always been a hassle,” says Anton Eliasson, the Swedish PR guy at the Korean startup, called Spika, that makes ShareOn. ShareOn adds PCs into the mix, and a version for Mac OS X is in the works. There isn’t a dedicated app for smart TVs, but the app – available for iOS and Android – should detect any smart TVs in the room that use the DLNA protocol.
ShareOn zaps photos, videos, and music files between devices. It requires a free sign-up, but after that it’s fairly simple – and a lot easier than most home networking set-ups involving routers, bridges, and goodness knows what. “The files themselves are not uploaded to the server. How ShareOn works is that it creates a direct connection between the different devices,” explains Eliasson. “The only information that goes through our server is account, file size, name, etc., not the files themselves. This information is encrypted partially at the moment and will be fully encrypted soon and is deleted after seven days.”
In my test using ShareOn on an iPhone and a Nexus 7, it was pretty straightforward to get, for example, all of my iPhone photos from the Camera Roll to show up on my Nexus 7 – and it only took a minute for all of them to show up on my tablet.
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