Can gaming work as a form of social media ??

Clash of Clans ! 

Once you start, you cannot stop. That is clash of clans. If you are one of the players, i assure you will definitely agree with what i say ! It is amazing and addicting ! 

There is several social aspect in this game : 

1. Players can create their own clan so that other clan mates can join them and fight together. 

2. Clan mate will help each other by sending reinforcement troops. 

3. You may challenge your friend via Game Center. 

BUT THAT IS NOT ALL, THE NEW FEATURE : CLAN WAR IS HERE !

The clan war is another step towards socializing with friends. Clan wars involve the battle between two clan where all the clan mates have to discuss strategy and work together in order to win the war. Players can communicate in the chatbox provided in the game. With that, we can make new friends and be social even though we are playing games ! 

- Below is the official video from Supercell to introduce clan wars ! 

Eng Woei Chyuan 

Reference : Koistila.P, (2014). Game monetization design: Analysis of Clash of Clans. Retrieved from : 

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/PeteKoistila/20140415/215503/Game_monetization_design_Analysis_of_Clash_of_Clans.php. (Last assesed : 6th July 2014) 

Critiques of Instagram

Carrying a smart phone 24/7 is the norm now especially for teenagers. We are getting assess on camera at all time whenever we want to. The great ways to store memories is to documenting our photos, to post it on photo sharing apps, instagram . 

Here are some INTERESTING facts about instagram you might not know ! 

68% of users are female and 32% are male

90% of the 200 million users are under the age of 35

24% of users say they use the app several times a day

1.6 billion likes occur every day

60 million photos are uploaded per day

Photographers says instagram is debasing real photography !!!

They argue that the filter effect that we can use right after we capture a photo in instagram as  'spoilt picture'.  Because it neglect the real meaning of a photography where they spend a lot of time to search for good views for good photos. 

Below listed is to show the difference of the photo taken both by the DSLR camera and also instagram ! 

- Photo taking by a photographer using DSLR Camera

-Photo taken by phone and edit in instagram

Eng Woei Chyuan (Eddie) 

Reference : 

Boehmer.M, (2014) Top 5 instagram tips for bussinesses. Retrieved from : http://www.business2community.com/instagram/top-5-instagram-tips-businesses-0928398#!8kXi5

(Last assessed : 4th July 2014) 

Banks Are Using Social Media

Hey guys!
I am sure that most of you are using mobile apps to do your banking activities nowadays.

I remember few years back, I was so happy that I finally owned a Debit card for my saving account that I used to open in Maybank. Since then, I started to use this card to do my banking activities such as cash withdrawals at the ATM machine. Sometimes, I did cash deposits through another machine as well. This was so convenient at first, but I get frustrated soon as I had to go to the bank in person to settle some payments or transfer cash to my friends.

Thanks to the technologies that solved my problem with the mobile Apps in smartphones!
Here are some mobile apps of Banks in Malaysia that I found them really helpful in making my life so easier now. If some of you still  running to the banks to settle payments, why not download these apps and save lots of your time on waiting for your number's turn in bank?

CIMB CLICKS

CITIBANK

HONG LEONG CONNECT

RHB NOW

MAYBANK 2 U

The company's marketing department used social media tools to take a look at their customer’s needs and used that to build new products and services.
The bank was able to use social communications tools and online surveys to develop a financial life cycle for their customers and identify that many people today establish a long lasting relationship with a bank in their late teens. They also found that parents are a major influence in the decision of which bank people ultimately decide to use. With more research using social tools, they identified which features and benefits were important and which combination would give them a competitive edge.

Banks that are using social media to brand themselves or to market a specific product or service have found success by integrating social tools into their existing campaigns or creating new ones that capitalize on the spirit of the community. Banks have been finding that such marketing techniques using social media tools have brought solid results.

Citi is one of the big banks using social media to build a community around its brand. As might be expected for such a large financial institution, different divisions have shown themselves to be more independent and innovative than the rest. Citi Credit Cards, for example, has launched a campaign that centers on the power of harnessing your Facebook network. Their Make a Difference, One Friend at a Time program combines the friends in your networks and charitable giving by promising to donate $50 to the charity of your choice for every approved credit card application your refer through your social graph.

Reference
Retrieved from:
http://playboard.me/android/apps/com.citibank.CitibankMY

Chelsy

Brand building on Social Media: Starbucks Apps (Latest)

The Starbucks Facebook Page was created in 2008, with a total fan count of around 200,000. In the past 6 years, Starbucks has grown its “Facebook Fan” count to over 37,600,000 Fans! This number is absolutely off the charts for a consumer brand product. 

Starbucks Malaysia has released an official app for Android and iOS devices, featuring a virtual Starbucks Card that links to your physical one, allowing you to easily and quickly make purchases, top up and also enjoy the My Starbucks Rewards program.

The app also features a store locator, and a useful “Latest Promotions” page with special offers for app users. The app is now ready to download on both iOS and Android.

Reference:

Malaysia Starbucks. (2014). Starbucks Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Dark Caramel Beverages 26 Jun – 13 Jul 2014

Retrieved from: 

http://msiapromos.com/dining-restaurants-food/starbucks-buy-1-get-1-free-dark-caramel-beverages-26-jun-13-jul-2014-22408/

(Source: Starbucks Malaysia (Facebook) via SoyaCincau)

Chelsy

Smartphone Apps for Travelers

Trip-Planning and Management

From booking flights and hotels to managing your itinerary, these apps can help you plan your trip.

Travel Booking

ORBITS

PRICELINE

BOOKING.COM

EXPEDIA'S TRIPASSIST
The above apps allow you to search for flights, hotels, rental cars, and more. 

Airlines

Each airline has its own app; these usually allow you to search for and book flights, check in, and track the status of a flight. While you can do many of these same activities through the airline's website on your phone's browser, the apps are generally faster and more user-friendly.

Itinerary Organizers

TRIP IT

 Apps like TripIt save all your trip details in one convenient place. Forward reservation emails to your TripIt account, and it automatically adds them to your itinerary.

Restaurants and Reviews

Trip ADvisor

 TripAdvisor's app gives you access to millions of user reviews of restaurants, hotels, and sights (though TripAdvisor ratings should never be taken as gospel). 

Dangers of Smartphones for Children

     Smartphones are incredibly advanced mobile phone types that feature many different useful functions. These devices also feature a lot of applications that allow users to accomplish different tasks like sending and receiving emails, engage in conference or video calls, and play various video or online games. 

     With highly technological benefits like these, it is not surprising that even kids are drawn to the use of smartphones. In the internet and social networks age, many parents are out of touch with the dangers faced by their children on smartphones. 

Here are some of the dangers of smartphones for children that parents need to be aware of:

•  Cyber-bullying

     The rise of using social networks has lead to an increase in cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying is the use of electronic information and media such as email, social networks, blogs, instant messaging, text messaging, mobile phones, and defamatory websites to harass an individual or group through personal attacks or other means.

•  Access to Pornography

     Children and young people may see illegal or inappropriate content, including pornography. Children may access inappropriate content accidentally, or intentionally through curiosity.

• Apps 

     In-app purchases made by children when playing games on their parents' phones are often cited as a reason for money being spent unwittingly. Parents had lost money or data from their own phone or tablet because their children had been using it unmonitored. 

Lastly, talking to your kids is the best way to keep them safe. They are excited about the technology and what it allows them to do, and often, they don't think about the dangers. You have to have open communication about what could happen. 

Reference:

Hanif, Z. (2014). Dangers of Smartphones for Children. Retrieved from: http://www.desiblitz.com/content/dangers-smartphones-children [Last accessed: 2nd July 2014]

Ong Wei Ru

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