Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
The fight gets technical: mobile apps vs. mobile sites | Econsultancy
To cover all bases, it is important to recognise that consumers are not using these channels in a mutually exclusive manner. They are using both native applications and browser-based apps, so the best strategy is to develop both types.
The decision to invest in an app or in a mobile website depends on the company’s target audience and the functionality of the app. Companies also need to consider time, budget and resources to develop each solution.
Native, web or hybrid mobile app development?
Source: Worklight
An inherent trade-off
Source: Worklight
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
#Mobile #Facebook Apps are upon us! - On The Eve Of One Facebook Event, The Spartans Prepare For Another
You’ll recall that Project Spartan is the HTML5-driven mobile application platform that Facebook has been quietly building for months with the help of a group of third-party app developers. While some of those very developers believe Facebook’s intentions here is to break up the control Apple (and Google) have over the mobile app space, Facebook started freaking out when we reported that. The spin began almost immediately. And it has continued, even with the group of third-party developers working on the project — they’re affectionately known as “Spartans”.
We previously reported that after our initial story, Facebook began reaching out to the Spartans, reminding them that the information of the project was confidential (while telling the press this stuff was really “nothing new”). Since then, Facebook has stepped up their game as well. We now hear that there’s been a lot of stern talks with the Spartans, telling them that the project is not about going after Apple. But it’s not really working. “I look at these apps and how content rich they are and how they have nothing to do with Apple and everything to do with Facebook and assume that they think we are retarded,” is how one put it.
One developer says that the quality of the apps on the platform is really surprising — in a good way, naturally. Apparently, there are going to be a ton of games that will be a part of the Spartan launch. This shouldn’t be too surprising, HTML5 gaming has been something Facebook has been pushing. And Zynga is believed to be heavily involved in the project.
So when will Spartan launch? Facebook is pushing to have everyone ready by July 15. One source expects a formal unveiling to be sometime between then and August 1.
While we’ve been hesitant to provide many screenshots of what the project looks like since it could give away sources, we have secured the one below which has been slightly altered. You’ll note that it looks like a modified version of the current Facebook mobile site. Of course, two things you won’t find on the current mobile site are right there staring you in the face: Games and Apps — with notifications too!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Confirmed: Google+ iOS app is awaiting approval from Apple! — 24100.NET
Today, Google’s own Erica joy has confirmed, that the iOS app has in fact been submitted to Apple for review some time ago. It is now stuck in review and waiting for approval. Erica actually posted it to the public on the Google+ network itself:
Friday, July 1, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
#Apple's iOS 5: all the details #iPhone
- And the first new feature: an overhaul of notifications. At last! A new Notification Center aggregates all your, well, notifications into one and is accessible by swiping down a menu from the top of the screen. Yes, just like Android. Small X buttons alongside each note allow you to dismiss it, though there's no "clear all" option for the more decisive among us. Notifications are also making their way onto the lockscreen, where swiping across a text message takes you right into it. A little something like Samsung's TouchWiz implementation.
- Twitter integration is also coming to iOS 5, with a single sign-in allowing a multitude of apps to make use of your Twitter credentials. That includes the Camera and Photos programs, finally letting you tweet images out directly from your galleries.
- Yay, there's now a camera button right on your lockscreen! The volume-up button is also doubling up as a physical shutter release key when you're in the camera app. Pinch-to-zoom is said to be available right in the app, while holding your finger down on a particular area will lock down exposure to optimize the shot for its particular lighting. Some new in-device editing options have also been added, including cropping, rotation, red-eye reduction, and a one-click enhance option.
- Headline feature: PC Free! No more cables required for syncing. Now we're talking. Setting up and activating a new iOS device can be done right on the device itself, and syncing will be wireless too -- there'll be no need to tether to a computer anymore. Over-the-air updates are also part of the new deal, and in better news still, they'll contain only the data that's changed, meaning you won't have to re-download the entire OS every time Apple opts to make a minor tweak.
- Another pretty significant novelty: iMessage. It's a messaging service exclusively for iOS users (irrespective of which device they're rocking), which comes with delivery and read receipts, an indicator for when the other party is typing, and the ability to push messages to all your devices. Kinda, sorta like BBM. You'll be able to send messages, photos, videos, and contacts. Group messaging will also be available. It works over either WiFi or 3G and looks to be making good use of Apple's new push notifications.
- Perhaps the biggest innovation of all in iOS 5, however, will be the way iCloud affects the use of your mobile device. Hit up our overview post of the company's new cloud-syncing solution to learn all about it.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
97% of #Android #App Downloads in April were Free, Says Chomp
97% of Android Downloads were Free
Paid Downloads on iOS Increased 3.8%
During this past month, 97% of all Android downloads throughout its search properties were free apps, and that number has increased by 2% over March, the company says.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Gartner: 428Mio #Mobile Devices Sold In Q1 2011, 19% Increase Y-o-Y
In Gartner’s latest mobile market report, the research firm indicated that over 428 million mobile devices were sold in Q1 of this year, representing a solid 19% year-over-year increase.As usual, the growth is attributed to the continued spike in smartphone sales– which Gartner pegs at 100.7 million for Q1, up 85% year-over-year. Android remained the top dog, which soared past Symbian to capture 36% of the market. Nokia’s Symbian is in second place with 27.4%, followed by Apple’s iOS with 16.8%, RIM’s BlackBerry with 12.9% and Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 with 3.6%.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Akbank #Mobile #Money #Transfer #iPhone #Application [Update: Functionality] (Para Gonder Uygulamasi)
http://itunes.apple.com/tr/app/para-gonder/id437256228?mt=8
Akbank's Para Gönder (translation: Send Money) iPhone Application
Send money from:
- Chequing account
- Credit card
Send money to:
- Any recipient's GSM number to be withdrawn from an ATM
- Akbank customer's GSM number to be transferred to their chequing account
- Any credit card
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Global #mobile #statistics 2011: #marketing #research, #web stats, subscribers, #ad revenue, #trends… | mobiThinking
Global mobile statistics 2011: all quality mobile marketing research, mobile Web stats, subscribers, ad revenue, usage, trends…
March 2011: The essential compendium of need-to-know statistics. Beware of media hype and mobile myth – put your mobile strategy on a sound footing with the latest research from credible independent experts. Global mobile subscribers, handset sales, mobile Web usage, mobile apps, mobile ad spend, top mobile operators and mobile financial services.
LATEST UPDATE (March, 2010): Adds: forecasts for smartphone operating share. Android booms as Nokia dumps Symbian.
UPDATE (February, 2011): Reorganizes categories and adds: 1) mobile phone and smartphone sales figures for 2010 - Nokia still dominant in both, but other vendors are gradually eating into its lead; 2) top three mobile phone brands in US, Japan, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy; plus smartphone penetration 3) when profits will run out for mobile operators; 4) How mobile subscribers use their phones, plus how the mobile app didn’t kill the mobile Web; 5) payment by phone in Japan; 6) eBay’s $2 billion in m-commerce; 7) 200 million mobile users of Facebook; 8) mobile apps - downloads, average prices and failure rates.
Check out the link for some mind blowing stats..
Monday, May 2, 2011
Money Messenger Powered by #PayPal for Your #Discover #CreditCard - SocialTimes.com
Discover Mobile 2.0 (iTunes App Store)
The only information needed to transfer funds is the payee’s email address or mobile phone number. The person receiving the payment needs a valide PayPal account. The person sending money is not charged a fee. An individual receiving the money are not charged a fee either. However, business who receive payment through Money Messenger are charged a fee to accept the money. The person sending the money from their Discover Card account does not need a PayPal account. Those holding Business, Corporate and Titanium cards cannot use Money Messenger at this time.
Monday, April 18, 2011
#Mobile #Application #Development: Web vs. Native - ACM Queue
Looking to the Future
As much as native and Web are pitted against one another in this debate, the likely outcome is a hybrid solution. Perhaps we'll see computing as inherently networked and (this is my sincere hope) free for anyone to access. We already see signs of a native Web: WebGL recently proved that in-browser 3D gaming is possible, even running Quake III!
In the meantime, software makers must balance the Web-vs.-native debate based on an application's primary objectives, development and business realities, and the opportunities the Web will provide in the not-so-distant future. The good news is that until all of this technology makes it into the browser, hacks such as PhoneGap can help bridge the divide. I encourage developers not simply to identify software development trends but to implement them! If the Web doesn't fulfill a capability your particular application requires, you're presented with an exciting opportunity to contribute and close the Web/native chasm in the process.
This is just the last paragraph of a very comprehensive article.. Highly recommended reading..
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Google's #Android 'to take half of smartphone market by end of 2012' | Technology | guardian.co.uk
Samsung's Nexus S smartphone using Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Photograph: Albert Gea/ReutersAbout half of the world's smartphones will be using Google's Android operating system by the end of 2012, according to the research firm Gartner.
Google will lead the race with Apple, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) and Microsoft by the end of this year and take 49.2% of the market in 2012, Gartner forecast on Thursday.
Nokia's tie-up with Microsoft's new Windows Phone 7 operating system would also be a success, Gartner predicted, with a 19.5% share of the smartphone market by 2015 – leapfrogging its rivals to the number two spot. That finding concurs with forecasts from analysts IDC and Ovum.
Worldwide smartphone sales are expected to reach 468m units in 2011 – a 57.7% increase on 2010. The explosive growth in affordable smartphones will see annual sales top 1.1bn by 2015, Gartner said. Sales of PCs, by comparison, will reach 387m this year, a 10.5% increase on 2010, the research firm predicted last month .
Monday, April 4, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
#Microsoft Is Said to Plan #Mobile #Payment in New Phone Software #nfc - Businessweek
Microsoft plans to include mobile-payment technology in new versions of its operating system for smartphones as part of an effort to narrow Google Inc.’s lead in handset software, said the people, who asked to remain anonymous because the features aren’t public. The first devices boasting these features may be released this year, the people said.
The company joins a growing list of software providers aiming to benefit from rising demand for ways to purchase products and services on the go. Mobile payments may be used in $245 billion in transactions in 2014, up from $32 billion in 2010, according to Gartner Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer is under pressure to regain mobile-software market share lost to Apple Inc., maker of the iPhone, and Google’s Android.
The phones running Microsoft’s new software will be based on so-called Near Field Communication, which lets devices communicate wirelessly with objects immediately nearby. NFC technology enables payments and also lets consumers use a handset for other tasks, such as redeeming coupons and loyalty points at local merchants.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Color Will Get You A Date With The Girl Next Door
How is this different from other photo sharing apps?
With any other photo sharing app you are limited to viewing photos taken by you or your social graph. With Color you are able to remember an event you attended, or a place you were at, from the perspective of all that took photos and videos - even if they are complete strangers. This happens because Color automatically groups photos together based on where and when they were taken. If you were there at that time - you will see them and can engage in the comments. Easy as that.
To help you wrap your head around it lets look at a couple real world examples of Color:
Example 1: Your Birthday Party
Its your birthday party. Your friends are there as well as some of their friends that they have brought along (you do not know these people but it's cool because the party is awesome, etc.). Assuming everyone is using Color to take photos you will be able to see all photos taken at your party without making a connection between yourself and those attendees who you do not know. You will no longer have to ask that stranger to find you on Facebook and send you that awesome photo/video they took of you. It will just be there - automagically.
Example 2: The Cute Girl Next Door
Not only can you view photos of those nearby but you can also communicate with them via comments. This is huge. Typically in the online world you are engaging with people you know in real life and have existing relationships with. Now with Color you can quickly view a photo of that cute girl next door, leave her a comment, and if you do it right go out to drinks later that night.
Think about that - Color, a mobile photo app, helps you make meaningful connections with people nearby.
Conclusion
I think Color will do great. They have the funding, they have the team, and the idea is hugely innovative in a space that is blowing up. I can't wait to use it at a concert and view the experience from everyone in the audience as well as the crew member backstage snapping an up close of the artist. Download the app here.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
#Akbank Cep Bütçem #iPhone Uygulaması AppStore'a 1. sıradan girdi!
Akbank Cep Bütçem Uygulaması ile, Akbank müşterisi olmasanız bile;
- Aylık gelir - giderlerinizi ve nakit durumunuzu kolayca takip
- Ay boyunca gelirlerinizi ve yaptığınız harcamaları gün ve kategori bazında uygulamaya girebilir,
- Geçmişe dönük bütçe girdi-çıktılarınızı takip edebilir,
- Birikim olarak ayırabileceğiniz miktarı görebilir,
- Birikimlerinizi değerlendirebileceğiniz mevduat ve yatırım ürünlerimiz ve güncel faiz oranları hakkında bilgi alabilir,
- Gelir ve gider detaylarınızın raporunu alabilir, e-posta’nıza HTML veya CSV formatında gönderebilir,
- Size en yakın Akbank şube, ATM ve BTM’lerinin yerini öğrenebilirsiniz.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
#Android Overtakes #BlackBerry As the Top U.S. #Smartphone Platform [REPORT]
The trend was obvious for quite some time, and now it finally happened: Android is the most popular smartphone platform among U.S. subscribers.
According to comScore’s data, Google’s Android rose from 23.5% market share in October 2010 to 31.2% in January 2011, enough to securely grab the first place from RIM’s BlackBerry, which fell 35.8% in October 2010 to 30.4% in January 2011.
Apple’s iOS experienced a minute growth in the same period: from 24.6% to 24.7%, while Microsoft and Palm continued losing market share, ending at 8.0% and 3.2%, respectively.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Salesforce.com Bringing Apple's FaceTime to the Contact Center
Last night Salesforce.com announced version 3.0 of its ServiceCloud product. Today at the Cloudforce event in New York City CEO Marc Benioff revealed more about the new version. Most importantly, ServiceCloud is transforming into a unified communications system for customer support by integrating VOIP and video conferencing technologies - including Apple's FaceTime. Benioff didn't specify, but it's possible some of the new features were built using technology from Salesforce.com 's acquisition of DimDim earlier this year.
How will the ability to contact customer support via FaceTime change the behavior of both the customer and the agent? Face to face video customer support could be a game changer.
