Why iPad is so unique and attractive?

Unless you are totally disconenct with the digital world, else I am sure you will be aware of what an iPad is. Personally I am not a BIG fans of Apple products due to their close source platform - iOS, however I have to say iPad is the only Apple product that got my attention so far. 

iPad does have its magic which attracts customers and this magic ingredient is simply the user experience.

To me Apple iPad is simply another Internet tablet (A tablet that allows you to go online via either 3G or Wi-Fi). There were UMPC a few years ago, however it never get popular due to its weight and dimension, Apple iPad does have an advantage on trimming the size and thus user feels it's slick and easy to carry around and the multi-touch gesture is another BIG plus in comparsion to the UMPC. In addition, did I mention having an iPad around you simply make you look kool and stylish? 

Apple iPad also has the advantage of being the first Internet tablet being available in the market, thus it got a lot of attention. Being the first tablet appear in the market in-directly impact my next point, which is the user experience from the iPad applications itself. Due to iPad it's the first available Internet tablet in the market and gaining its popularity, a lot of apps developer are moving towards to the direction of implementing apps for iPad and most of these developers are / were mobile developers. 

Apple successfully bring its iOS platform from mobile (a 3-4" screen) to a 10" screen size tablet. The new dimension (10" screen size) and resolution opens up a whole new world to the developers. (Newspaper and Magazine) Publications are joining in and utilizing the 10" screen size and the tablet platform for their publications. Interactive ads and interactive articles contents fully utilize the plaform of the tablet (noted I am using the term tablet here instead of iPad, which I will explain in a bit). Publications like New York Times, Oprah and Esquire are ahead of the game and as you can see from the following videos, the publication take a full advantage of the tablet platform and the interactive elements simply stunning and hence it's a BIG plus for user experience. 

Oprah Magazine iPad App Demo via @Mashable 

Esquire iPad App Demo via @Mashable

Is iPad the only platform that allow these kind of applications? The answer is NO! Android had been BIG these days and is cutting off the iOS market share quite a lot. The above publication simply utilizing the tablet platform but NOT the iOS platform. A fair say here, these days any features you have on iOS simply you can find an app in the Android Market or the same features probably already built in the Android platform. In another words the same app for the above publications literally can run on an Android tablet (provided it's written in Java) and the user experience will *most likely* the same. 

Recently there are news reported about the Wall Street Journal rolled out their Android tablet app and is available on the Market. With the Samsung Galaxy Tab is going to be availble throughout the globe relatively soon (US already start rolling it out last week and Hong Kong already start pre-ordering and the first shipment will be available by this Friday), it will be interesting to see whether iPad will still able to stand strong, mean while whether there will be more big brand publications rolling out their Android tablet version app. 

 

Why location-based social applications will be the next big hit

Today Facebook introudced a new service that go with its Places features, Deals. Deals allow user to search and find out what are the greatest deals around their current locations. Facebook launched Facebook Places end of August, Places simply allow user to share their current location to their friends, much more like Foursquare and Gowalla.
Foursquare is a location-based apps that allow user to checkin and share the place they are currently in, in addition Foursquare will reward user by giving out 'Mayorship" for the user whom check in the most of a venue. User can also earn and unlock special digital badges by checking-in multiple locations at certain time or check-ins with specific shout-out. Gowalla also allow user to check-in and will reward with digital items - Pins.
Location-based applications seems like another social game, users are battling for mayorship (Foursquare), mean while other user are trying to earn as much digital items (badges and pins). These apps are actually no games, badges and other digital goods are simply eye candy which attracts user to join in the community, in addition the digital items itself is also a brand promotional material, an example will be Foursquare's The Barista aka Starbucks Badge.
Foursqure allows user to leave tips at venue, so other users will be able to check out how good or bad this venue is (ie for bars and restaurants), Google place also have similar features (rating). Tips are one of the ways utilizing location-based app, often from Foursqure you will be able to see promotions on certain venues. (In Hong Kong, I often see Pizza express has discount coupons)
Tips & coupons are basics, Facebook Places - Deals bring the game to another level - Allowing user to view the deals (around his/her location) and claim it. User simply flash their mobile with the coupon on and then they are entitle to obtain the discount, what an interesting thought. How about the first 10,000 check-in customers get a pair of free jeans? All these promotions, coupons and freebies are promotion and marketing strategies that is utilizing location-base applications (a BIG thank you to the evolution of the mobile technology, thus allowing user with smartphone to check in to places as they go).
Searching deals and coupons around the user's current location is great and fun and is this the lmit of social location-based applications? The answer is NO. Imagine you are at the downtown core and you enrolled in a promotional SMS campaign. Instead of the user taking the initiative - seek and search for the great deals and coupons, the stores around the user local location will message their daily deals, or coupons to the user, will that be a better way to make things work?
In short, there are simply no limitation for marketing utilizing the social location-base applications, as long as the user are around some location and the application itself is aware of (either relay on the user's GPS device or user check in). In America, marketing using location-base applications are very common and there are a lot of successful cases. In Asia, I had yet to see any superb ideas which utilizing location based app just yet. Hong Kong in specific, there are couple shopping malls, like Langham Place, or individual companies, like Jusco, which had created iPhone apps for user to obtain coupons, however the trend of using location-based app is yet to hit up in this tiny congested city.
What about Privacy?
Privacy is everyone's concerns and you will not like a stocker stocking you online and know where you are heading to each single day. If you are not comfortable about sharing your location, don't do so. Of course you will be missing out tones of great stuff around town, howveer your privacy is always more important then the deal of the day ;)

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