The Egyptian Geek

The Daily Byte: BBM fans in Cairo, hang in there

2012-12-30T19:59:00.001+02:00

If you're one of those planning on making the jump to a modern smartphone from your BlackBerry Curve or Bold, hang in there. 2013 is coming with a handful of new devices up its sleeves and a few of those are -guess what- BlackBerrys. If you're one of those hardcore BBM fans that just can't let go of your bold or curve, BlackBerry is about to release a series of new phones that come packed with their latest OS, BB10; their latest attempt to catch on to their rivals. While I think the new BB series will be far from a game changer, it would quite be worth it to make the jump to if you envy your Android friends but still prefer to hang on to BBM.

App Review: The Newly Revamped Bey2ollak app

2012-12-29T00:03:00.002+02:00

It's been months in the making, but Bey2ollak finally came out with their newly redesigned app, and truth be told it now looks like an a legitimate app than it ever did. Here's why it still failed to impress me

Winning Google's إبدأ competition, the Bey2ollak team had a lot to live up to, now that they have the cash and the human resources to rebuild their app from the ground up. The update however came short of expectations as it improved on already annoying interface. True, it now looks easier on the eyes and it's much easier to navigate, but a lot of features are still missing.

Old fans of the app will be familiar with the new design. On the homepage you will find a list of all the streets in Cairo with a traffic status on the right and you can view or add a report to any street of your choice. You might still wonder however why they decided to stick to that design in the first place. As new roads are added, the lists keep getting longer and the only way to find a street is by scrolling or typing keywords in the search box (which doesn't work most of the time because of spelling issues). You can still however add your favored street to the "Favorites" tab, but that's only a way around the cluttered design.

The update is a very welcome one, but it's probably the timing that was bad, because the longer they delayed that update, the higher were our expectations. It is still a pretty safe bet, that the team is working on something even bigger, but their update intervals remain to be an issue that they need to solve, especially when faced with tough competition that could see Google coming into the game with an update to their maps.

Rating: 3/5

Google Navigation in Egypt: Quick Review

2012-09-24T17:13:00.001+02:00

Finally Google has listened to the cries of a lot of Android users in Egypt, who were desperate to get their hands on Google's road assistant, Google Navigation. With the existence of expensive, mediocre alternatives on the play store, Navigation easily claims the top spot amongst other GPS apps available in Egypt. but wait, there's a catch here; Navigation is only -at least for now- available on The Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, HTC One-X and HTC one S. Google introduced the app in collaboration with Vodafone Egypt and HTC in a collaboration that we rarely see in the region. It is thus no wonder that Navigation is only available on Google and HTC devices.

When you open the app you will get a screen asking you to speak the destination of type it. At the bottom you'll see your recent destinations. You can also choose whether you want to navigate using you car or just by walking. Google Navigation, then shows you the fastest route to take to your destination, you can still select alternative routes as well.

Navigation is smooth and very accurate. I was surprised to see that it recognizes all the roads I was on. An automated voice will give you the driving directions as you drive to your destination. Every time you make a turn it will update on the next turn you need to take and the distance to that turn. On the screen the same info will appear, with a text and a right, left or curved arrow, depending on the type of the turn.

My experience with Navigation has been excellent . With Google maps operating at the core of the app, there is no destination that Navigation would not recognize. I did however face some problems trying to understand the directions and ended up taking a wrong turn a few times. I do blame that however on the fact that I don't have a mobile holder in the car, so I didn't have the map in front of me the whole time.

One of the features that I loved in Navigation was its quick ability to show an alternative route once I took a wrong turn. It did not prompt me to go back to the original route, but rather drove me through a different route. Navigation also supports The Arabic language, a very handy feature, which I unfortunately did not have the time to test.

The biggest and only disappointment with Navigation is its lack of traffic data. Up to this moment, Google is yet to introduce traffic data to Egypt, but its a move that we should expect anytime now especially with Navigation now becoming available. For now, Navigation calculates distance to destination based on assumptions and not realtime traffic data. Since I have not seen the level of integration of traffic data with Navigation I can't judge how much it will add to the app, but I'm guessing a lot.

All in all, Navigation is the perfect app for driving around Cairo. 4.5/5

Check out the Google Navigation ad for Egypt below

Google's candy is getting sweeter: Google Play

2012-07-10T02:20:00.002+02:00

Google has revealed a pleasant surprise to all its android fans in it's I/O keynote late last month. Jelly Bean is Google's latest android version that comes packed with a wealth of features and enhancements that are likely to attract even more fans to the android ecosystem. I use the word ecosystem because Android can no longer be treated as just a mobile OS, it has rather grown over the years to be the 2.0 version of iOS ecosystem.

Google's online store -that is Google Play- now offers all your entertainment needs from apps to music, books, magazines and even movies and TV Shows. Some regard it as an itunes store clone, but Google Play's features beg to differ. For starters Google understands cloud computing better than Apple, offering storage space of up to 20,000 songs in the cloud at no cost whatsoever and the ability to stream them online or download for offline usage. The service is compared to Apple's iCloud and iTunes Match, which at best will allow you to to store copies of the music locally on your PC to be fetched anytime from their cloud even if they weren't purchased from the store, but the service costs $24.99 a year and you can't even stream the music you buy from iTunes as iCloud only allows you to download to different devices. Same thing with TV shows and movies, you are unable to stream any videos that you purchase from the iTunes store, unlike Google Play, which allows you to stream on your PC, tablet or phone. Perhaps the only limitation that stands in the way of Google Play is content, which they don't seem to have much of, but as with any young online store, the collection grows by the day. Another limiting factor is of course the availability of the store in the U.S. only and even though that can be solved by hiding your IP Address, it is still considered to be a disadvantage.

In part 2 I will be giving my views on Jelly Bean and comparing it iOS 6.

Why Google may lose its throne soon

2012-01-22T23:39:00.002+02:00

Disappointing profit figures that plummeted the company's share price and the lack of innovation predict the tech giant's possible future downfall. The company that was once seen by many as a serious innovator and contributor to shaping the world of tomorrow has not been up to standards lately. Here's why.

Virgin Megastore at Mall of Arabia

2012-01-21T01:56:00.002+02:00

Feeling the need to continuously focus on all things Egyptian, I thought I should take you on a tour for some of the biggest retail names in technology here in Egypt. This time round, I'm starting off with Virgin Megastore. Oh Virgin.. Virgin, what's wrong with you?!

Unlike its sister branch in City Stars, The newly-opened branch in Mall of Arabia occupies smaller space, but manages to squeeze in pretty much everything that the store sells elsewhere. From laptops, TVs and everything in between to of course books and music; that store has it all as you would expect. The problem is, what exactly does it sell?

UPDATE: SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB 7.0 PLUS NOW IN EGYPT

2012-01-08T21:52:00.003+02:00

Yesterday I've mentioned The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus as one of the gadgets to anticipate this year. Today I can confirm that the tablet is available in all Mobile Shop stores and is selling for L.E 3,900. Make sure to get yours if you're looking for a small tablet to take with you on the go! It's yet to be seen if Apple will release a 7.0 inch iPad, but until that happens, the "Plus" is a major attraction for students and people who are constantly on the move.

Gadgets to wait for in 2012!

2012-01-07T22:53:00.000+02:00

2012 is bringing lots of new gadgets to the Egyptian market, here's what I know so far..

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus
This 7 inch tablet is confirmed for a release in Egypt and even though we don't know the time yet, I suspect a first quarter release. The tablet comes after the successful launch of its predecessor last year, though it was no match for the alluring ipad with both of its models. The Tab however lit that spark with Egyptian consumers that was attractive enough for Samsung to push for its successor.

Top 5 Reasons Why Task Management Apps Suck!

2011-12-21T21:06:00.003+02:00

I really tried depending on those time and task management apps to prioritize what I have to do for the week, but it just got me nowhere. Here are the top 5 reasons why I hate those apps so much.

I have to insert every single task myself: What's the point of typing up every task myself if I could forget to do that anyways. It's just very time consuming and inefficient
Mobile platforms are just not ready yet: Maybe that's just my general frustration at iOS, but I just can't keep up with my tasks using my ipod touch, it just doesn't work. iOS 5 has been a major upgrade when it comes to notifications, but why can't I cross out any task that I've done right from the notification center. Why can't I actually prioritize my tasks and let them appear in order when I swipe down the notification center. Lots of missing features -specifically in iOS- are sufficient to bring any task management app down. I'm not an android user, but I don't think it's a very different story
Missing lots of features: Yea pretty much what's been mentioned in the previous point, but I think that they just lack this artificial intelligence features that would really help me remember every single task. Yes they let me take audio notes and capture pictures, but I'd like to see those apps take those features to the next level, I want them to understand my life and be customized accordingly. Every picture that I take could be automatically categorized without me doing it for example and maybe later popping up on my phone to remind me?!

4&5: Well I think the previous points pretty much cover everything. Don't you think?

Wait for another post with what I'd like to see in task management apps, where I'll be elaborating more on what's been mentioned here. Make sure to leave your comments and let me know if you find task management apps of any benefit to you.

So When's Twitter Getting an Update?!

2011-11-28T00:38:00.001+02:00

It has been quite some time since Twitter last got a facelift, I think it's about time it gets another one or it will quickly get washed up by other social networks (Hint: G+)

The mini-blogging service continues to be popular amongst internet users and remains to be the number one place where people can truly share opinions regarding a certain topic, no other social network has managed to do that... yet!

So then steps G+, with some serious -almost weekly- updates to its platform. The service is integrating a lot of Twitter's features and even making them better. With G+ you can not only check trending topics, but you can also check the hot posts on the website, which is a great way to get you to keep coming back even if you don't have enough people in your circles. Not only has G+ been smart on browsers it has also been smarter on mobile phones, since it allows you to view public posts near you, which is a tremendous innovation.

What G+ is trying to do here is basically getting people to log in more frequently to check out public posts and kick-start a virtual conversation between people who have never seen each other. It gives social networking a new dimension and helps it move past your own network of people. But wait, isn't that what Twitter was built for?! Actually yes, but with the G+ smart platform, Twitter is facing a serious threat that could end the service soon.

I will talk about what Twitter should do in the next few posts, but for now make sure to leave your comments and tell me what you think of G+ is it really a threat to other social networking services?!

Google Buzz... Away For Good

2011-11-03T12:51:00.000+02:00

Google has announced today that it's retiring Google Buzz, its long struggling, twitter-like social network. I don't think anyone got the point behind it really, but Google finally saw this project as a failure, now that it's in full support for G+. What really puzzled me though was Google's continuous support for the service even after launching G+, when it integrated Buzz into their new baby project.

Now let's rest that aside for a while, because Buzz was bound to go away someday. I think the real focus point should be on something completely different and that is Google's continuous failure in penetrating certain markets and the rate at which it's shutting down certain projects

I've talked a while backin this blog on Google closing down Aardvark -the Q&A service- and you also might be familiar with the famous Google Wave that wasn't really understood by the users. Today we have Buzz joining the qeue. I'm not sure if this is how Google wants things to be, invest in all projects with a possible potential and later shut down the ones that don't do so well. Maybe that's just how a tech giant should operate, afterall you can't possibly know what the users will like or hate. But then again, I think Google should pay closer attention to the project screening stage and make sure that only those products -that make sense- go through, otherwise it's just time and money going down the drain.

Facebook... new features, but what's next?!

2011-09-20T21:00:00.000+02:00

So Facebook's been rolling out a handful of features those past few weeks with the latest of them -to be launched soon- being their most significant yet and that is there music service. Here's shortly what I think of Facebook's updates

Subscribing: At first I thought it was a desperate attempt to get those tweeting celebrities on board, but after taking a closer look at what it really is.... I still think it is a desperate attempt to reach out to those facebook haters. But that aside, I commend Facebook's engineers for the clever execution ; the button really offers some new features and helps make your news stream more likable. I actually like it, cauze this gives a whole new dimension to your profile, now you can just share what you want with the world with out having thousands of friends, which is the case for people with interesting lives.

Lists: Ok so that is definitely about Facebook getting back at Google for ever creating a copycat social network and adding their Google touch to it. This feature could be the death sentence for G+. Lists acts exactly like circles minus Google's impressive animation, but the awesome thing is that it automatically adds your family, people living near you, your highschool and university friends to separate lists. The feature's really great and is one more reason not to use G+

Ok so I saved the best for last, Facebook's rumored music service. I don't know much about the service -and neither does anybody else as far as I'm concerned- but it has been circulating that Facebook would use several other services like spotify and integrate them all into its platform. This could be Facebook's biggest update ever or just another feature that nobody would really use. If it's the latter one, then I could safely say that soon enough we could see some developers launching a social network that reinvents the way we communicate (again!). That's just how the web is, you're big then you're gone. What Facebook needs to do is expand away from the web and do what Google's doing, but that really depends on what Facebook's mission is. I know Google's here to organize the world's information, which is such a gigantic reason to be present that they can't stop innovating in various fields, but what about Facebook, is it just about creating an awesome social network or is it big enough for them to grow?!

What Google should've done to save Aardvark!

2011-09-08T19:16:00.002+02:00

Aardvark is a bit like Google answers -which was also slashed by Google a while back- and it's main purpose is to help you find answers to the questions that you're asking. What's interesting about this project is that it's built in a much more creative way than Yahoo Answers; it let's you fill in your profile upon registration and asks you to type up all stuff that you know about or have an interest in. This way, the service pushes only relevant questions that you can answer right to your e-mail. The concept was interesting, but sadly the project is shutting down and here's what Google should've done to save it.

Actually put it on Google (DUH!): The service has probably never been added to the Google products page along with docs and other services and hasn't even been added to Google Labs, which makes no sense

Integration with Google search results: This is something that I haven't really seen happening. Unlike Yahoo Answers in search results, Aardvark could've been deeply integrated with Google search in so many ways from search results to a widget popping up on the right side of the screen with related questions asked and the ability to type up a new question directly

Integrate it with Google Plus: The fact that Google Plus is still lacking the unique feature that would send users out of Facebook makes this integration a worthwhile one. I can picture Aardvark introducing the ability to ask certain circles through a status update and Aardvark would automatically look for the most qualified users to answer the question. Even simpler, G+ user could ask a question to the public and let Aardvark find people to answer. Even beyond statuses, it could be added to comments and a G+ user would also be able to ask questions about shared articles or news reports.

I think it all boils down to how much thought and effort was put into Aardvark by Google. If they wanted this to breakout, they would've pushed for it just like they are now for G+. It just annoys me to see how Google is -maybe unintentionally- killing projects like Aardvark after buying them off a year earlier. Then why buy them in the first place?!

Steve is out... What's Next for Apple?!

2011-09-01T16:19:00.001+02:00

So the big news released a week ago about Steve leaving his position at Apple as the tech giant's CEO, took the Internet by storm. A lot has been said about the company's future and a lot of speculation has been circulating about what Tim Cook -Apple's new CEO- has in store and if he could really maintain the company's glare. I'll leave you with a few notes on what I think lies ahead of Apple

Apple has its next couple of years pre-planned for it, with all its product updates already decided upon. The real challenge is what the company will perform on the long run and will it keep delivering innovative and market changing gadgets?!

The problem isn't in Tim Cook, he probably will make a great CEO. The problem is that Steve Jobs was such such an influence to Apple and an -if I may say- an eye candy to both investors and consumers. Now that he left the CEO position, the public may not be as into Apple as it was before. Bottom line, this could tarnish the brand

We don't know much about the future of Apple, but it's just a matter of time until we do. With the iphone 5 coming soon, Apple will enjoy another glory moment of success, but will it be its last?!

Inta Feen... another social networking app added to the queue

2011-08-16T01:13:00.002+02:00

This year has witnessed the birth of another social networking app with the famous "check-in" feature. I would say it's an app that is places centric, unlike Facebook or Twitter that are more people centric.

Etisalat Egypt gives free facebook access?!

2011-08-06T13:50:00.000+02:00

Not it's pretty much a scam. Etisalat has recently announced it's data packages for Internet access from any mobile phone and they're offering 4 packages, here's a table with all the details for prepaid customers.

Fi Geibak...a new app coming soon!

2011-08-03T21:33:00.001+02:00

A new Egyptian app is on it's way to launch in a few weeks and it's called Fi Geibak, apparently targeting students and hopes to be their friendly companion. Check out my initial thoughts after the promo video that was uploaded by Fi Gebak over a week ago.

Smartphones... not so smart in Egypt!

2011-07-28T23:08:00.003+02:00

Smartphones have been spreading like a wild virus amongst middle and upper class Egyptians, especially with the release of probably the most popular touch enabled Nokia phone, the 5800 express music and supported by the fleet of HTC devices that are gaining ground in the country. However, do people really make use of those smart devices in their pockets? probably not. Find out why after the break.

The e-commerce of Otlob Mall and Souq

2011-07-25T23:47:00.000+02:00

If you've ever logged in to Amazon or ebay, then you'll probably be familiar with what Otlob Mall and Souq offer. Both websites offer an excellent way of shopping online. Here's the difference between them.

Souq

Souq is an online store that acts as a hub of buyers and sellers on the web. Souq acts more like ebay, where sellers are individuals who have new or used products and put on them on sale through Souq and any other user can buy them. You can also find actual retailers on Souq selling their products, but the majority tend to be individual users.

Souq has recently undergone a makeover to make the website much easier to navigate (at least that was the plan). Aside from a new logo, Souq.com is still confusing when it comes to searching for products and the biggest letdown in this interface is the fact that you can't know if a product is new or used unless you click on it (why's that?). I'm sure that the interface will get better with time though, but the main point that needs to be stressed is that Souq has a huge potential, it's pretty reliable when dealing with it and best of all, it offers cash on delivery for certain products, which means that you can pay in cash at the door.

Yahoo! Maktoob getting ready for Ramadan!

2011-07-25T12:03:00.003+02:00

According to Arab Crunch, Yahoo! Maktoob has officially launched its Ramadan website for this year. Go to Maktoob's Ramadan website and check out some of their cool and handy features that they've created for you. Now, I'm not really going to talk about the features, though they're worth talking about since they include free SMSs, TV guide, games and celebrity news. What I find interesting though is Maktoob itself. Founded in 1998 and growing exponentially in the Arab world, it was later taken over by Yahoo! and it seems to be a successful takeover thus far. To me, Maktoob's unique selling point is -other than its unique services- is its clean interface that Masrawy itself is still unable to replicate. We'll just have to see what Masrawy comes up with in the next few days for Ramadan.

Best Egyptian apps for your iOS device!

2011-07-23T22:24:00.001+02:00

If you happen to be in Egypt or if you're actually Egyptian, then you should definitely give those apps a try.

Bey2ollak

This very handy application is all about traffic in Egypt. You can get real time updates about the traffic condition of the major streets in Cairo. The app is user centric, which means that all the updates are generated by the users, who can comment on the condition of a certain road, ask a question or just select the color that reflects the current state of the traffic. The new features in this app really reflect the bright future for this app and promise you even more convenience in the near future. Among those new features is a new dedicated tab for roads in Alexandria, a dedicated tab for roads in the north coast and integration with facebook and twitter. This app is a must anyone who drives in Egypt.

The Egyptian Geek was right, the Xoom is out now!

2011-07-20T16:16:00.003+02:00

A few days ago I talked about the possibility of the Motorola Xoom hitting the Egyptian market soon. Well now it's no mystery anymore, the Xoom is out in Egypt. According to Mobile Shop (an Egyptian retail store), the Xoom is out for L.E 5777

Top 5 reasons why Google+ is a hit in Egypt

2011-07-19T17:08:00.002+02:00

Google+ is spreading fast in Egypt, unexpectedly and unlike Buzz (Google's previous attempt at creating a social network). It reminds me of Gmail's days when it was in beta and people were going crazy over invitations. The network's growth is astounding and looks like it could be a serious threat to facebook. Here are the top reasons why I think Google+ is gaining ground

HTC loading the big guns!

2011-07-17T23:38:00.003+02:00

Image taken off Jovitronix's website

A few days ago I've posted about the arrival of the HTC Sensation to Egypt, well now I'm please to announce that HTC is rolling out three brand new products to the Egyptian markets; the HTC ChaCha (HTC Status in the US), The HTC Flyer and... wait for it... the HTC Evo 3D (now that was surprising to me!).

The Motorola Xoom soon in Egypt?!

2011-07-17T01:03:00.007+02:00

It is apparently a very good possibility that we might see the Motorola Xoom hitting the shelves soon enough (Oh Joy... but where have you been all this time?) According to the official Moto website of The Middle East and Africa, the Xoom is expected to go on sale in Egypt. You can check the tablets tab and see the the 3G and Wifi Xoom listed there too.