In this digest, I'll be covering activity trackers, Bluetooth speakers, blogger engagement, and a few contests.
Activity Tracker
I completed the review of the Xiaomi Mi Band (head to the link if you have not read it). At the same time, I got hold of the Huawei TalkBand B1, which is a totally different kind of activity tracker. From the Instagram photo I posted, you should be able to tell how different. Review out next week.
Speaking of activity trackers, there is a dearth of trackers specifically for children in this part of the world. There are a few companies that are making it happen (hereO, Filip, TicTocTrack). The challenge is that these existing products cannot be used in Singapore. One of the larger smartwatch makers must quickly take this up and get it out globally.
So what are our options in Singapore till the day these cute watches become available? Now I'm trying out Life360 to track my daughter via her mobile phone. The benefit of using Life360 is that the app is available in Android, iOS and Windows Phone. As a parent, if you are concerned about sharing your own location to your children, it is possible to disable the tracking. The drawback is that so can your tech-savvy children.
Logitech X300 Is Good, Says Friend
My friend Peter was looking for cheap portable speakers for home use. I recommended the Logitech X300, but having good experience with his current X-Mini, he went ahead to buy the X-Mini Kai 2 which had additional features, like daisy-chain other X-Mini speakers, acts as Bluetooth transceiver. Then, perhaps due to post-purchase dissonance (a typical consumer behaviour), he did more research on portable speakers and found this article, which concluded that the Logitech UE Mini Boom is the best.
And since I had the Logitech X300 with me (where I concluded is better than UE Mobile Boombox which was the version before UE Mini Boom), I passed to him for a listen. He kind of regretted buying the Kai 2, and a week later, he bought the X300 to make things right.
Sony SRS-X3 vs. Bose SoundLink Mini
So the same friend told me that his research on the wireless speaker led him to uncover that there are claims that Sony SRS-X3 is comparable to Bose SoundLink Mini. That caught my attention, so I promptly asked Sony PR agency, Waggener Edstrom, if they could provide a review unit. And they actually did! Awesome folks. Review posting soon.
As described in The Loving Mum's blog post, blogger engagement should be employed as part of a larger traditional campaign to be effective. I also agree that some people who click "like" on posts are mere "tappers", and does not translate to real sales. But I agree that the "like" counters certainly represents the extent of reach that the post has achieved. If the marketing strategy is to create awareness, then getting any bloggers with large followers will do the job. I hope companies will be smarter in how they engage bloggers, and most importantly, not to expect magic from the social media channel on its own.
SharePop
SharePop contacted me to share their new service with me, which is basically to earn money by sharing apps. I'm all for sharing apps, but I'm not that convinced about the ability for me to monetize successfully. As an independent reviewer, it would be difficult to be objective about my reviews if they are dangled with a prize carrot. I'm sure there are other bloggers out there who can do this better, so I'm sharing this piece of news here.
ASUS Giveaway Campaign
ASUS has informed me of a giveaway campaign to celebrate 500-million computer motherboard sales and being the number 1 in motherboard sales.
ASUS fans worldwide are invited to enter to win great prizes in their ‘500-million motherboards’ competition. Continuing to 12th February, 2015, visitors to the campaign website, at http://www.asus.com/Microsite/mb/ASUSMB1st, are encouraged to enter by sharing the site on your Facebook or answering a short quiz relating to the history of ASUS. The grand prize is one-of-a-kind PC based on a limited-edition Sabertooth Mark S motherboard and encased in a unique ASUS TUF case mod. Weekly prizes include RT-AC87U dual-band AC2400 routers, S1 Mobile LED projectors, and the ultra-compact VivoPC VM40B.
UE Boom Contest
Ultimate Ears shared with me a contest to give 2 winners a pair of Sky Dining vouchers with $400 when purchasing either UE Mini Boom or UE Boom at any EpiCentre store in Singapore. Promotion ends 5 Feb 2015. Visit this link for promotion details.
And have you heard UE has announced the MEGABOOM? It's even bigger and louder than the Boom. I'll talk more if and when I get a review unit.
Piano Spa 7 Music Sheets Now Available
Last week, I shared that my Piano Spa 7 album can be purchased directly from my blog and delivered to you. This week, I'm excited to share that I will be publishing the piano music sheets on www.pianoccio.com , a site managed by Singapore twin-sister composer-pianists, Low Shao Suan and Low Shao Ying.
