Its Christmas time and the team at BigTinCan is pleased to bring you an exciting new app for the iPhone and BlackBerry - Jessica Simpson's Happy Christmas.
When Jessica Simpson released her new album Happy Christmas - and we found out that it is only available for people living in North America - we felt knew that people all around the world would love to be able to hear her music, and get access to special content from Jessica's TV Special that aired last weekend in the USA - and we believed that the power of the smartphone would be the idea answer to getting fans access to this exciting and unique content - just in time for Christmas.
To do this we partnered with Primary Wave Music based in New York and have delivered two exciting smartphone apps - for iPhone and BlackBerry - that are the only way to get access to this content outside of North America. You can see videos of the apps in action at our Youtube channel on the Jessica Simpson Christmas Playlist - and you can read the press release here
To quote the guys at Primary Wave - “We see this new app as the future distribution mechanism whereby millions of fans around the world in this innovative way,“ said legendary music company executive and Primary Wave Music talent manager Jerry Blair.
We hope you all like the app and we are looking forward to bringing this way of distributing music content around the world in 2011 - and special thanks to the team at Tolemy for the amazing design!
Happy Christmas from all the team at BigTinCan
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Thanks to you we're into the Semi-Finals
We received some great news this week - BigTinCan has made it into the Semi-Finals of the 2010 BlackBerry Partners Fund Super Apps Developer Challenge.
This is a great result for us and shows what can be done with some great care and effort for the development of a world class smartphone app - and it's great to have the support of our users in doing that!
We issued a simple small press release this week about it - and thought it might be interesting to post it here!
This is a great result for us and shows what can be done with some great care and effort for the development of a world class smartphone app - and it's great to have the support of our users in doing that!
We issued a simple small press release this week about it - and thought it might be interesting to post it here!
Local smartphone firm at forefront of digital content revolution, is competing on global stage.
Australian smartphone firm selected as Semi-Finalist in 2010 BlackBerry Partners Fund Super Apps Developer Challenge
Leading Australian smartphone application development firm BigTinCan has been selected as a Regional Semi-finalist for Research in Motion’s (RIM) ‘2010 BlackBerry Partners Fund Super Apps Developer Challenge’.
Earning the award for their Harper’s Bazaar (Australia) super app on BlackBerry, BigTinCan is at the forefront of delivering digital content to mobile consumers around the world. With the ability to instantly deliver new and exciting multimedia content to millions of users around the world, BigTinCan has established themselves as a key player, in the move to mobile exclusive content on mobile devices.
“We are very happy to be selected as a Regional Semi-Finalist in this amazing app challenge, against strong competition”, said David Keane, CEO of BigTinCan. ““This result shows that an app like Harper’s Bazaar is a great example of the future of digital content, and BigTinCan is at the forefront”.
As a ‘Super App’, Harper’s Bazaar delivers on the promise of delivery of digital content directly to the smartphone. The application allows users to view updated ‘push’ content that is delivered to their phone in real time. The content is “side loaded” into the phone and update alerts are presented to a user only after the content has been received, making the app experience fast and dynamic. With direct BlackBerry calendar integration Harper’s Bazaar allows users to add details of ‘events’, sent directly to the phone using directly into their BlackBerry calendar. The app also displays picture and video within the application.
The Harpers Bazaar, plus other great apps from BigTInCan, is available now for download free on the BlackBerry App World.
About BigTinCan
BigTinCan is a smartphone systems developer operating BigTinCan Connect our global overlay telco network, BigTinCan Maps our OSM linked mapping service, and BigTinCan BuzzMe our wildly successful smartphone application.
With over 2.7 million users worldwide on our suite of iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and platforms, BigTinCan is a global leader in smartphone systems and services.
Based in Sydney, Australia, and with global experts in telco, smartphone, database and web skills, BigTinCan is well placed to take advantage of the smartphone revolution.
For more information, please contact Robert Leigo on +61402166910, or email robert.leigo@bigtincan.com or visit www.bigtincan.com
Monday, October 4, 2010
USA Trip comes to a close
With one team member already home, and the rest about to leave San Francisco for Los Angeles and then onto Sydney, this has been not only a productive trip, but an unforgettable experience.
A week at BlackBerry DevCon2010 in San Francisco was truly a great learning experience for all of the team as well as a fantastic opportunity to meet and connect with other developers and businesses who work in and around the BlackBerry platform. The obvious highlight of the week was the announcement of the new BlackBerry tablet, the 'BlackBerry PlayBook'!
After the productive week in San Francisco, the BTC team spend a few days out in Silicon Valley. With a few meetings and some R&R, including seeing 'The Social Network' in Mountain View...along with what seemed to be half of Stanford University.
Everyone at BigTinCan is looking forward to returning to Sydney and getting back into work. Keep a look out for the exciting new products and ideas that are just around the corner!
Its great to be a BlackBerry Alliance Member!
Pictures after the jump
A week at BlackBerry DevCon2010 in San Francisco was truly a great learning experience for all of the team as well as a fantastic opportunity to meet and connect with other developers and businesses who work in and around the BlackBerry platform. The obvious highlight of the week was the announcement of the new BlackBerry tablet, the 'BlackBerry PlayBook'!
After the productive week in San Francisco, the BTC team spend a few days out in Silicon Valley. With a few meetings and some R&R, including seeing 'The Social Network' in Mountain View...along with what seemed to be half of Stanford University.
Everyone at BigTinCan is looking forward to returning to Sydney and getting back into work. Keep a look out for the exciting new products and ideas that are just around the corner!
Its great to be a BlackBerry Alliance Member!
Pictures after the jump
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
BlackBerry Announces 'PlayBook' Tablet at DevCon
San Fransisco, September 27th, 2010
The BigTinCan team were present at BlackBerry DevCon2010 today where RIM Co-CEO Mike Laziridis announced the BlackBerry 'PlayBook' ultra-thin tablet. This 7 inch tablet was announced with the tag line "Everyone needs a great PlayBook". We've been told by RIM that the device, which features True HD video, true multitasking, dual core processors and HDMI out will be released early in 2011.
When asked to comment on the 3G/4G capabilities, Mike Laziridis wouldn't comment but was heard to say "You do the math".
The BigTinCan team is about to attend the first developer session at DevCon2010 which will feature the new tablet OS, and will keep you posted during the week as we get more information.
Exclusive photos and video after the jump
http://tinyurl.com/2vqgkx2
The BigTinCan team were present at BlackBerry DevCon2010 today where RIM Co-CEO Mike Laziridis announced the BlackBerry 'PlayBook' ultra-thin tablet. This 7 inch tablet was announced with the tag line "Everyone needs a great PlayBook". We've been told by RIM that the device, which features True HD video, true multitasking, dual core processors and HDMI out will be released early in 2011.
When asked to comment on the 3G/4G capabilities, Mike Laziridis wouldn't comment but was heard to say "You do the math".
The BigTinCan team is about to attend the first developer session at DevCon2010 which will feature the new tablet OS, and will keep you posted during the week as we get more information.
Exclusive photos and video after the jump
http://tinyurl.com/2vqgkx2
Free vs Paid Apps
The First session at the BlackBerry DevCon 2010 is all about Free vs Paid apps. And whilst listening to the leaned speakers telling us that "having a free app helps you get you more downloads than just a paid apps" - I was thinking "What is the future for the freemium model?".
We have successfully operated a "freemium" service with our BuzzMe Product since April 2009 - and its worked quite well for us - and for our users, but it that what people really want? The commercial alternative seems to be to introduce advertising into the apps, but I personally don't really like apps that include lots of ads - unless there is a real benefit to me and my use of the device - which most apps are just not able to provide.
What about a model where (a bit like what Pandora has done to the music market) where users pay a regular monthly fee to download any number of utility style apps - now that is something that I as a user might actually pay for - and that is also something that could reward developers for their work.
Challenge there is that might provide a way for developers to make a "hobby living" but can it create sustainable businesses? I doubt it.
For developers to grow to scale and create real value in their companies there needs to be a service that users are willing to pay regularly for in a way that the service actually either a) gives them a real cost saving over other commercial alternatives, or b) provides them with a lifestyle benefit that is worth paying for.
We have some ideas about this - but how about you? We would love to hear your comments
We have successfully operated a "freemium" service with our BuzzMe Product since April 2009 - and its worked quite well for us - and for our users, but it that what people really want? The commercial alternative seems to be to introduce advertising into the apps, but I personally don't really like apps that include lots of ads - unless there is a real benefit to me and my use of the device - which most apps are just not able to provide.
What about a model where (a bit like what Pandora has done to the music market) where users pay a regular monthly fee to download any number of utility style apps - now that is something that I as a user might actually pay for - and that is also something that could reward developers for their work.
Challenge there is that might provide a way for developers to make a "hobby living" but can it create sustainable businesses? I doubt it.
For developers to grow to scale and create real value in their companies there needs to be a service that users are willing to pay regularly for in a way that the service actually either a) gives them a real cost saving over other commercial alternatives, or b) provides them with a lifestyle benefit that is worth paying for.
We have some ideas about this - but how about you? We would love to hear your comments
Friday, September 24, 2010
BigTinCan in San Francisco
So its DEVCON time again, and we are in San Francisco (well today in University Ave, Palo Alto).
Its going to be a great ride with lots of news about new BlackBerry products already in the rumour mill - check out this story on Engadget reported initially on the WSJ.
Its also a great chance for me to "eat my own cooking" , as I am using all the features of BigTinCan Connect this trip. So far so good.
What I have done is forwarded my Aussie mobile number to a BTC inbound number in Australia and then pointed that number at my ATT prepaid SIM card (that is not sitting nicely in either my Bold 9700 or iPhone - depending on what apps I want to run;). So people at home can call my mobile and it will ring here in the USA - but even better I have created a time of day rule that means that people who call me outside of normal hours here in the West Coast will just get sent to a voice mail - which is then sent to my email.
Then from my ATT SIM I have setup BigTinCan Connect to add this number as my callback number - so now when I call Australia I am calling at US domestic incoming rates. Pretty cool huh! Oh and it shows my Australian mobile number as the caller ID when I call someone in Aus - so they know its me!
COST?
I purchased a $25 pre paid credit pack for my SIM here.
I then used $4.99 of that credit to purchase a 1Mb data pack - to send the call requests to the BTC server.
And now I've got $20 left over for the minutes - which actually gives me plenty of minutes for the calls.
Compared with roaming charges this is going to save me I think hundreds of dollars!
I will post back here on my experiences with the US cell phone network - but for now its working great!
Its going to be a great ride with lots of news about new BlackBerry products already in the rumour mill - check out this story on Engadget reported initially on the WSJ.
Its also a great chance for me to "eat my own cooking" , as I am using all the features of BigTinCan Connect this trip. So far so good.
What I have done is forwarded my Aussie mobile number to a BTC inbound number in Australia and then pointed that number at my ATT prepaid SIM card (that is not sitting nicely in either my Bold 9700 or iPhone - depending on what apps I want to run;). So people at home can call my mobile and it will ring here in the USA - but even better I have created a time of day rule that means that people who call me outside of normal hours here in the West Coast will just get sent to a voice mail - which is then sent to my email.
Then from my ATT SIM I have setup BigTinCan Connect to add this number as my callback number - so now when I call Australia I am calling at US domestic incoming rates. Pretty cool huh! Oh and it shows my Australian mobile number as the caller ID when I call someone in Aus - so they know its me!
COST?
I purchased a $25 pre paid credit pack for my SIM here.
I then used $4.99 of that credit to purchase a 1Mb data pack - to send the call requests to the BTC server.
And now I've got $20 left over for the minutes - which actually gives me plenty of minutes for the calls.
Compared with roaming charges this is going to save me I think hundreds of dollars!
I will post back here on my experiences with the US cell phone network - but for now its working great!
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