MarcForrest.com

Category: On The Marc

  • MMA Mobile Mega Trends in Durban

    Next week Wednesday (12th October) the MMA (Mobile Marketing association) will be hosting it’s first event in Durban as the Docklands Hotel. And….

    I will be doing a talk, for Private Property, on “Mobile Lessons Learned and Growth Comparisons”. This is the first time I am doing something like this, and I am, well let’s say, rather…NERVOUS. But, I’m sure it will all be ok :) I can do it….

    So, if you have any inkling in anything Mobile, or even want to know about where Mobile is going in South Africa, (and of course based in Durbs) I highly recommend registering for the event – http://marketingmix.co.za/pebble.asp?relid=24298

    Looking forward to seeing you there…

     

  • RIP Steve Jobs

    There isn’t much more to say about this inspirational man, in so many of our lives. The fact this his visionary and innovation has changed the way we all work, live & play says enough. On a personal level, there is an emotion of longing for my mom & dad, after been inspired by Steve Jobs and his way of thinking.

    These words below, from a talk at Standford university in 2005, bear memory of how we should live our lives:

    “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
    – Steve Jobs 

    Thank you, and may you Rest in Peace.

  • This time, Smokoo really is a SCAM

     

    The last time I posted that Smokoo was a scam, I got asked to take the post down. Thanks to a couple of things going on in my life at the time, I didn’t have much of a choice, but to take it down.
    But now, I am really confident in saying, they have pulled off such a stupid scam, they really are the laugh of the town.

    A while back Smokoo decided to auction off an iPhone5– http://www.za.smokoo.com/auctions/smokoo_iphone5

    Yip, you read that. iPhone5. Which didn’t even exist then, and still doesn’t exist now. This evening, Apple announced the launch of the iPhone4s, while Smokoo hapily boasted about an iPhone5 they auctioned off. The winner ended up paying R2.97, foe what is effectively now a cardboard box. Ouch !

    If you take a look at the auction page, they go on to give specs which they “think” would be in the iPhone5.

    Breaking news – Apple iPhone launch – now it’s official: Invitations have been sent out for the event on October 4, saying, ‘Let’s talk iPhone’. Apple staff have been banned from holidays in the first two weeks of October in America, and tech insiders expect the iPhone 5 from the launch to appear in stores shortly after – on October 14

    It doesn’t get more exciting than this!

    The iPhone 5 is set to become the best-selling iPhone of them all. Be the first to own one by securing this auction. Place the final bid and the iPhone 5 is yours.

    Model: iPhone 5 32GB

    Some of the most-wanted features on the iPhone 5 include: Enhanced voice control, Micro-HDMI out, Removable battery, Expandable memory, Biometric security, NFC-enabled, Better home-screen and notifications system, Enhanced cloud-computing support, FaceTime over cellular network, Flash support, Larger screen, Better camera, Dual-core processor, Upgraded 3D graphics and Fewer dropped calls.

    Smokoo has garnered a reputation for being the first site to sell the iPad, iPad 2 and the iPhone 4. Our customers save an average of 96% on these items and other high-end items like cars and bikes.

    Notes:
    iPhone 5 will be shipped after official release by Apple
    Product pictures are for illustrative purposes only
    Shipping cost includes insurance

     

    What the…Seriously. Removable Battery, Micro-HDMI out, Biometric Security. SERIOUSLY. My eyes are bleeding !!! Somebody help me. The only thing they did seem to get right was the release date. Well done Smokoo !

    Honestly, I can’t believe that these guys are still going. It utterly pisses me off when companies try and push stuff like this, KNOWING that people will fall for it. It is utter BULLSHIT.
    I honestly hope Smokoo gets taken to task for this Smokoo Scam. It is totally unacceptable !!

    [Updated] Just seen on their FB page, they also offering you a “chance” to go to New York to “…get your iPhone5 with the Smokoo Team”. Really ? Really !!

     

  • iPhone 4s launched & available in South Africa in December

    iPhone 4s launched & available in South Africa in December

    So tonight we heard all about the new iPhone4S that Apple launched at a small press briefing, with only 350 people attending. I followed the event live on the Engadget live blog, which was super awesome and kept up to date.

    While many people expected a iPhone5, we got to see the new iPhone 4s, which includes a couple of cool new additions to the current iPhone. Some of these cool new features include:

    • Well firstly we got to hear about how well Lion is doing (Love Lion) and then music & iPods. Interesting, the iOS operating system is now installed on over 250 million devices ! That’s quite a bit. Also 16 billion songs have been downloaded from iTunes
    • iOS5 & iCloud will be available on the 12th October. Free update
    • iPhone4S stays the same form factor, but now includes
      • A5 chip, which is the same as the iPad2. So effectivley a much faster phone
      • A new antenna system, which should hopefully help with all the crap dropped calls we have at the moment
      • An 8MP camera, which should iPhoneography a lot more interesting
      • 1080p Full HD video recording, which is also quite cool. Also has video stabilizing
      • Wireless Airplay. I have used this on the iPad2 with the Apple TV which is actually pretty cool and has loads of potential
      • iCloud. Coming 12 October. Let’s see how this one works
      • iOS5, which is also pretty cool. Lots of new cool features
      • Siri, which is a voice activated assitant. Hmm, not really sold on this one, and I don’t know so much about the limitations in South Africa. Let’s see
    • The iPhone4s will be available in the US on the 14th, and looks like we might see it here in around December
    Overall, not the most exciting Apple keynote we have ever had, but I guess we will just have to wait and see how this one works out. The APPL stock also took a bit of a dive and didn’t seem to recover. The pricing does not change for the US, so hopefully our pricing should stay the same. Added to that, the iPhone 4 will only now be available in a 8GB model.
    I’ll also be updating here with more news if I missed anything out. What do you think of the iPhone4S ? Lemme know in the comments below.

  • Apple’s ‘Let’s Talk iPhone’ keynote tonight – 7pm

     

    If you even midly interested in anything Apple you will know that the iPhone 5/4s announcment is taking place tonight at 7pm South African time. While there is NO official live video streaming, there always seems to be someone in the audience who has a cellphone and is live video streaming.

    I am going to be following the Engadget Live Blog, which always seems to be quick with their updates and also post some really good quality pics. The Gizmodo live blog is also pretty good.

    Also, you can listen to TWiT.tv, who offer some really good audio comments of the announcement. If you follow me on Twitter, I will be tweeting some thoughts & highlights as the event progresses.

    To get an idea of what we are in for, check out the Bandwidth Blog team’s take on what to expect with the iPhone 5.

    I can’t wait to see what is announced, and am really looking forward to it. Blog post up here as soon as we have all the info ;)