Although this is not an app, I found it so awesome that I had to press it. This also pertains to the class when we talked about augmented reality. This is augmented reality taken to the next level. In the video here the wearer is seen taking pictures, checking the weather, getting directions, and placing a video call, all of which are controlled using voice activated icons that appear in the user’s field of vision.
Author: jcs10k
Apple’s new patent application revealed their interest in making iOS development simpler than ever. Entitled “Content Configuration for Device Platforms,” it describes a new authoring tool that would allow users to create content without needing to understand or access computer code. This is obviously not very appealing for those in the app making industry and also diluting of their title.
Apple wants to make it easy for non-programmers to build iOS apps.
This new App, now available on iPad and Android tablets enables users to really get down to business right on their tablets. HyperOffice allows business users to share documents, manage projects and sync with corporate email, calendars, contacts and tasks. The App turns tablets into the perfect productivity tool for the mobile work force. I may be wrong, but I think that these are the types of apps worth creating for your own profit on the Apple and Android market.
HyperOffice Transforms your iPad and Android Tablets into a Business & Productivity Workhorse.
This article really caught my attention. How in the world is this possible? While BlackBerry’s maker has record declining sales everywhere else, five-hundred thousand federal workers, President Obama and his staff among them continue to use this smartphone. I guess this should be considered by app makers who are approached to design an app targeted more towards workers in Washington D.C.
This puts Rovio in a different league than other game publishers. Gains of a minimum of $10 million in three days seems ridiculous for any app, let alone a game that makes mario bros look like the next big ting. This is a huge reminder to all app developers that no idea should be disregarded, no matter how “back to basics” or dumb it may seem.
Angry Birds Space introduces the age of the mobile game blockbuster – The Washington Post.
Claims have been made that the iPad 3 can be used as Verizon LTE hotspot for over 24 hours. This seems to contradict what was explained in class today. AnandTech’s testing confirms, that the new iPad can actually offer 24+ hours of hotspot functionality under the right conditions. Note, “The right conditions.” Maybe the iPad does prove to have a longer battery life when many of it’s features are turned of and dimmed to their least potential.
New iPad can be used as Verizon LTE hotspot for over 24 hours | The Verge.
This is just another speculation about the new iPhone to proceed the 4S. Although just a speculation, the “bigger 4.6 inch display” should be considered by app designers. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so designers should take note of this possibility when creating the specifications of their apps.
Apple’s new iPhone will use bigger 4.6-inch display: report | Reuters.
For app designers out there, this may be something to take note of. Recently, lawmakers in the US are questioning developers for iphone apps in privacy inquiry. Democrats on the house commerce committee asked developers of social apps to disclose their data collection practices. The inquiry for this information comes as a result of the growing concern about mobile privacy.
US lawmakers question iPhone app developers in privacy inquiry – Computerworld.
Privacy Policy changes are to take effect on March 1st in California. Considering that most apps are not state specific, all app designers must now take this agreement into consideration when designing apps. Also, those apps that are already on the market, must go back and make changes to presenting to their current users and upcoming users a privacy policy that they must accept before pulling sensitive information their smartphones and computer tablets. It’s also news that the Obama administration wants technology companies and other parties to create codes of conducts for mobile apps. App creators should also take consideration of this when creating apps from now, so they won’t be troubled to go back and make changes when the codes are set and laws are passed. Staying aware of these current changes such as there is crucial for ,California attorney general, Harris promised to sue mobile app makers who take information without the required forewarning.
According to Daily Tech, the recent speculations about the iPad 3 have been confirmed by a few reports. The iPad 3 is said to have a higher resolution than it’s predecessor. It is speculated to offer s 2048×1536 display, compared to the 1024×768 of the iPad 2. This further confirms the importance of starting out with high pixels when designing and app. Those apps that were created or are currently being created, without the consideration of devices with higher resolution, will have to be recreated or started from scratch.
DailyTech – Reports: iPad 3 Camera, Resolution, Chip System Confirmed.
The Federal Trade Commission issued a report emphasizing that Apple and Google keep a closer eye on Apps created for Children. According to the FTC, steps need to be taken to provide simple disclosures noifying users that Personal information will be accessed through the apps installation. This is something that App developer’s should be aware of and keeping in mind when creating new Apps.
On March 22nd a new version of Angry Birds is said to be released. The App will be based off the first official hit game of Angry Birds, but this time they will be in space. Considering that Angry Birds has been the top app, it will be interesting to see what the download numbers will be for it’s fourth sequel. This sequel is reported to have a different theme of space, than preceding three.
Angry Birds takes off for space March 22 | iPhone Atlas – CNET Reviews.
Categories
Before building a mobile app …
According Seth Porges, magazine editor and creator of Cloth, an iOS fashion app there are eight things you should know before building a mobile app. Cost, is the first thing you should consider. Hiring a programmer and designer, like discussed in class, will cost a large sum of cash. There’s also the unavoidable cost of $100 per year that Apple charges for a developer account (which “will be needed to publish the app”). How much to charge and when will you get paid are the second and third factors to consider. Apple sends cash one month at a time, in earned amounts of at least $150, and only through direct deposit. Your iTunes description is the fourth factor to consider. Simplicity and screen shots work best here. What is the best way to beta test? is the fifth factor. Porges recommends a program called TestFlight, which makes sending build updates to registered devices, via air, simple. The sixth factor to consider is when you get featured on iTunes, what happens? How to get press is number seven. Porges advises that less is more when it comes to the pursuit of the press. He also recommends one to consider producing an emendable YouTube or Vimeo ad of some sort, which may provide one more avenue for people to stumble upon your app. Finally, consider how you will avoid spam, because within days of being added to the App Store the email linked to your iTunes developer account will be bombarded with spam.
Categories
Windows App Marketplace
Windows launched an app marketplace for their phones in five new countries. After this addition, Windows phone Marketplace now reaches 41 markets. This comes to show that this is a Marketplace that should not be ignored by developers. It currently has more than 50, 000 apps. Rue Liu, author of the post below, suggests developers make their existing apps available worldwide, by logging into the App Hub and selecting the “worldwide” option.
A new security app, created by McAfee is now on the Android Market. The App Protection interprets how apps handle your personal and private data, and tells you whether those app permissions are risky, but fails to tell you what to do about those risks. It also features a new call and text-messaging filter that blocks calls and texts from numbers that the user inputs. Many of it’s features that have carried over from the previous version. The app also includes anti-theft guards, unauthorized SIM replacement notification, phone locate and tracking, uninstall prevention, and an online management Web site that allows for full interaction with the McAfee interaction. The full app is available for a free seven day trial, and after that you are hit with a $29.99 one-year license fee.
Mobile security app from McAfee hits 2.0 | The Download Blog – Download.com.
Apple majorly updated their eBook reading app for iOS. The updated app includes a new category for textbooks. With the release of iBooks 2.0, iTunes 10.5.3, iBooks author, and new partners controlling 90% of the textbook publishing market on board, textbooks will be revolutionized. iBooks titles can include animations, diagrams, videos, photos, and top notch navigation. Apple has reinvented the textbook by adding interactivity, making them engaging to the reader. To top it all off, most educational titles on the iBookstore are available for $14.99 (or less).
Samsung has filed seven patent claims in Germany against Apple. One of the patents, covering turbo encoding and decoding device and a method for process frame data according to quality-of-service, was recently taken up in Regional Court. The judge ruled in favor of apple in the infringement complaint. The full detailed ruling is not yet available but an abstract is available in the link below. Samsung still has the option to appear in higher court. An impact on either company will most likely not be apparent until the written ruling comes available, according to Arora. The claims don’t go just one way, for apple has also filed claims against Samsung for infringing six patents.
The reviews on the new Windows Phone OS has been great, but the phones that it runs on, not so great. Nokia hopes to change this with their recently unwrapped Lumia 900, an addition to their Lumia line which has performed generally well in Europe. According to comments made by Thurrott, who runs the SuperSite for windows blog, the smartphone boasting a 4.3-inch resolution display, 512 MG of RAM, an 8-megapixel camera, and the Windows Phone Mango operating system, could be hitting the US shelves as early as March. “The Lumia 900 beautifully showcases the Windows Phone OS,” Ginny Mies of PC World wrote in a hands-on test of the Lumia this week.
Rumor has it that the next iPad, to be released in March, will deliver a lot more than it’s two predecessors. The bigger battery, it is said to have, will be able to support the power requirements of the newer LTE technology, which has already been introduced by other smartphone makers. A new display, with more pixels on screen than some high-definition TV’s and pixels small enough to makes the images look like printed material are also in the specs for the iPad 3. In addition it’s capability to work with the next-generation wireless networks and it’s high-defenition screen, the anticipated iPad will run a faster processor, enabling videos to be played almost instantly. The speculations were attained by three anonymous people who are familiar with the product, so I guess will have to wait until March to see how much is true.