Amazon Smartphone 'Fire'

E-commerce giant Amazon has recently launched a new smart phone in market on June 18. After Kindle, this is Amazon another gadget in market, which seems to be more successful than other phones in market. Amazon has introduced cool gadgetry for consumers with its new Fire Smartphone. It has a robust list of features for work. This gadget will make professionals in corporate sector happy. Let us focus light on some of its smart features.

First, view Microsoft Office files. This phone includes an OfficeSuite Viewer app so one can look at files like spreadsheets or power points, on Amazon Fire. Secondly, Microsoft Outlook email, calendar, contacts. The Fire can link to a corporate Microsoft email system using Microsoft’s ActiveSync tool. Not only will that synchronize one’s data, but it also makes sure the phone meets corporate security policies.

Third is Encryption. Fire can be set up to encrypt the data on the phone so that if it is lost, hacked, or stolen, no one read your files. Fourth is Mobile Device Management. It is a enterprise security software. MDM can locate phones, remotely wipe them, add corporate apps, and enforce security policies such as passwords. Fifth, files from corporate network. One can access his corporate network on Fire phone via his username and password.

Sixth is Enterprise App store. Amazon offers something called “Whispercast” as a tool businesses can use to manage the Fire phone, Kindle Fire Tablet and other Kindle devices. One can use this to add and remove books, files, and apps like a private app store. Last and most important is getting business apps into its app store. This includes apps to take notes, scan documents, and prepare invoices from tablet. Free apps like Skype and GoToMeeting are available too.

With such robust features in one phone, Amazon is going take over many markets. They recently started with delivery of products in single day in India. Device named Octopocters for home delivery is another new device introduced by Amazon last year. With so much in market, let us see what next Amazon will do to cover more market share in the world.

Flipkart launches Digiflip Pro

India’s e-commerce giant Flipkart has launched a tablet today. All customers who log in their Flipkart account will now have a choice to buy a tablet. The seven-inch tablet named “Digiflip Pro XT712” and has a thickness of 9.2mm will come under price tag of Rs. 9999. It will weigh only 285 grams and is thinner than other tablets in this class.

As per specifications, it has 1280 * 800 HD screen with IPS panel, MediaTek MT6582 quad-core chipset running at 1.3GHz and 1GB of RAM, 16GB storage space and microSD slot with 32GB limit. It also has features of dual-SIM functionality with 3G and voice calling support. It comes with a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera.

Flipkart will add some additional features with this series. One will have shopping benefits of worth over Rs. 5000 and free eBooks worth over Rs. 2000. The tab will also have free Flipkart app already installed in it. The tablet will be running on Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2. It also comes with a 3000mAh battery. There will be a Bluetooth earpiece free with the tablet as well as 50 percent discount on the cover. Flipkart is offering one-year warranty in the tablet and a 24-hour customer care support.

With so much of features in a tablet and in a very cheap price range, Flipkart now aims to acquire Indian gadgets market. There is a big gap between this price range and Flipkart has successfully filled this gap before any other company. Last month, Flipkart acquires fashion retail giant Myntra and rose new funding at $210 million. With competitors like Amazon, Snapdeal, and eBay, Flipkart Tablet will acquire Indian market faster than any other company will. They will now try to increase tablet sales in India, which declined by 17.5 percent last year. With this move in the market, Flipkart now have to compete with Samsung and Apple.

In recent news, Google is also trying to launch Android phones in Indian Market under a price tag of Rs. 6000. For that, Google will tie up with Indian companies like Micromax, Karbonn, and Spice. Mozilla had already tied up with Spice and Intex to cover Indian markets, who will sell phones under a price tag of Rs. 1500. Infosys Chairman Narayan Murthy will collaborate with Amazon for e-commerce business in India after stepping down as the Executive Chairman of Infosys. Murthy will route his investments through his firm Catamaran Ventures. Amazon and Catamaran are planning to form a joint venture in India for back end operations in which Catamaran will hold a majority 51% stake. Amazon operates as a third party market operator, providing platform for others to sell, instead of selling directly. This is because FDI restrictions in e-commerce in India. With so much of mergers going in electronic market in India, it seems that customers can buy good products in a very cheap range.

Google's Nest Buy Dropcam

In a recent acquisition between two big companies, Google’s Nest has reached a deal to buy Dropcam, an Internet camera company. Google agreed to buy Nest in January for $3.2 Billion and the deal closed in February. Now, Google’s Nest Labs said it agreed to buy video monitoring and security startup Dropcam Inc. for $555 million. The deal was signed on Friday.

Nest will now fold the company into its existing line of smart-home product, which currently includes the Protect smoke detector and Learning Thermostat. Dropcam’s product will now under Nest’s privacy policy. This means the data will not be shared with other firm, including Google, without a user’s permission. The deal will be used to expand the Nest brand into home security and video monitoring. Dropcam team plans to move from San Francisco to Nest’s offices in Palo Alto, Calif.

Nest, founded in 2010 hit the market with its thermostat in 2011 and following in 2013 with the Protect Smoke Detector. Nest has used thermostat and smoke detectors as the starting points for its smart home philosophy, which start with hardware and aims to expand into a software platform. Dropcam, founded in 2009 by Greg Duffy and Aamir Virani, offers a limited line of tightly integrated software and hardware. The camera company has only three products: the $149 Dropcam, $199 Dropcam Pro, and $29 Dropcam Tab. All three devices are aimed at helping customers monitor home activity through motion sensors and video recordings.

Google is increasingly expanding into new markets, with efforts ranging from high-speed internet access to advanced research on self-driving cars and robotics. Dropcam next project is home security with a product called Tabs, which are small $29 Bluetooth enabled sensors that are able to detect movements on doors, windows and other objects. The deal signed is still not decided when it will be closed.