Google Drive leak shows 5GB of storage and mobile apps

There were rumblings just a few days ago that Google was finally on the verge of launching their new cloud storage service, Google Drive. Sources speaking to GigaOM said that the service would launch in early April, come with 1GB of free storage, and have a similar UI to the current Google Docs interface. A new screenshot has emerged that shows Google will be offering even more than that.

Talk Android managed to get their hands on a leaked screenshot of the sign up page for Google Drive. When users sign up for the service, they’ll be received 5GB of free storage instead of the previously rumored 1GB. That’s more than competitor Dropbox offers, currently serving up 2GB at signup.

Files won’t just be restricted to the desktop, with the website saying that you’ll be able to access content from a “desktop, mobile phone or tablet, and drive.google.com.” The service, then, will most likely work similarly to Dropbox and other alternatives, with customers being able to access and make changes to files from one device, which will then update everywhere.

Google’s own documentation on their Support page has already been updated to indicate that an Android app will be offered, which will require “ongoing syncs to update your documents.” That will lead to increased data usage: Google warns that you should take care if you have a limited bandwidth allowance from your ISP.

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Mobile App Development

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Box releases mobile app menu for iOS devices

Enterprise cloud storage provider Box.com, announced today a new tool that provides a menu of the most popular mobile apps that work with its cloud-based file sharing service.

The tool, called Box OneCloud, is an application menu that initially only includes iOS apps because they are the most popular programs for enterprise use, according to Chris Yeh, vice president of Platform at Box.

A user clicks on an application link in the menu and is directed to the iTunes app store, where the app can be downloaded.

The Box OneCloud gallery provides a suite of more than 30 iOS-enabled productivity applications that allow users to securely access, edit and share content from their mobile devices.

“All application integrations are accessible via this new Box mobile app gallery, enabling users to easily browse and download the catalogue of these productivity apps to their iOS device,” Yeh said.

The app catalogue was created in response to enterprise users of Box’s file sharing and collaboration service who were going outside mainstream providers for their favourite productivity tools.

“Once Box goes into an organization, employees found they were having a hard time figuring out what other apps worked with it,” Yeh said.

Four of the hottest third-party mobile apps have also been more tightly integrated with Box OneCloud, including Quickoffice, Adobe EchoSign, Nuance PaperPort Notes and PDF Expert. The deeper integration means any modifications to files are instantly stored Box.

The premier partner’s apps also provide advanced document editing, secure e-signature, digital note-taking and PDF annotation.

In early May, Box plans to add applications for Android OS-enabled devices to its OneCloud. “We’ll be adding Windows mobile apps as soon as they establish a foothold in the enterprise,” Yeh said.

Box, which plays in the enterprise-class file and content collaboration market, claims to have 10 million users from 120,000 businesses. The service also claims that 82 percent of Fortune 500 companies use its service.

Yeh said 30 percent to 50 percent of its storage use comes from mobile applications, an increase of about 30 times over last year.

Another change from last year is that the most popular apps come from lesser-known providers, as opposed to Microsoft or other large application developers. Forrester predicts that Window’s device share will fall below 50 percent by 2016, further pressing CIOs to update device policies and security procedures to ensure employees are productive and their data is safe.

“Who owns the end point is changing. Microsoft owns less than half of all end points [on Box],” Yeh said, referring to applications on mobile devices. “We’re in a post-PC era.”

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Microsoft and Nokia to invest 18 million Euro in mobile app development

Microsoft and Nokia have agreed to invest up to €18 million in app development for the Windows Phone platform.

The duo launched the AppCampus program at Aalto University in Finland, which will run for the next three years, encouraging students to develop apps for both Windows Phone, Symbian and Series 40, though the primary focus will likely be on Microsoft's operating system.
“AppCampus offers an unprecedented opportunity for entrepreneurs to put their ideas into practice and create world-class mobile products,” said Klaus Holse, president of Microsoft Western Europe. “We want to turn a new leaf in the mobile industry and foster Finland’s role as a center of excellence for mobile technology.

Such investment into early-stage concepts has rarely been seen in this sector, and this demonstrates how highly both Nokia and Microsoft value Finnish mobile expertise.”

Apps are key to the success of a mobile operating system and one of the primary reasons people choose Apple devices over those of rivals, due to the extensive library of apps available. Android is quickly catching up, but Windows Phone is lagging behind considerably.

The problem for Microsoft, and Nokia as the primary phone manufacturer of Windows Phone devices, is that developers are reluctant to invest the time and money in creating an app for Windows Phone, as the rewards are currently limited compared to the two dominant platforms.

In order to make it more rewarding it needs apps to attract customers, making the situation a viscious cycle, with the only solution being active investment from Microsoft and Nokia, which the duo have finally decided to do.

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Mobile app developers, don't forget about privacy and security

User experience is important when developing any mobile app but in an enterprise context, what about security? For example, if you are developing an app that stores personal information there are regulations that ask where this information resides. Depending on the industry, mobile app developers may be completely accountable if any security issues happen on an app that they develop.

To ensure that you are in full compliance to any privacy, security or regulatory questions, it is recommended that apps be developed in-house or through a partner. So do mobile app developers need to consider regulatory, security or privacy concerns in advance of mobile app development projects?

"Yes, I think that developers of mobile and Internet-connected applications need to be positively thinking about privacy and security issues, which will likely help them address any regulatory compliance issues. And this should be true whether or not the apps are intended for enterprise use", Andrew Baker, director of Service Operations with SWN Communications, says.

He adds that security is something that has to be planned and developed in advance, so that it functions effectively and costs less than a bolted-on solution.

"Whether or not an app is intended for an enterprise audience, there's a good chance it will be used by enterprise employees, or connect to enterprise infrastructure", Baker emphasizes. "The safer our applications are the better. Security needs to be built-in, rather than layered on afterwards".

Jon Stroz, an Interactive and Traditional Marketing Specialist with Accella, a mobile app development firm, agrees that, as with any software development, mobile app developers do need to worry about security and privacy concerns, especially when handling sensitive data.

"While many mobile applications and games do not handle private information, others do,especially with the proliferation of mobile payment being adopted by users and merchants", Stroz says, adding:

Sharing [information] via a mobile app requires security. A developer’s main concern with security should really surround the transmission of data, sending it from a mobile device to a secured server. This is especially important with financial transactions and other sensitive data. While it is the consumer's responsibility to make sure that - should their device be lost or stolen, no sensitive data will be uncovered, it is the developer's job to make sure that data is safe when being transmitted or stored in their app.

Security Breakdown

However, despite the fact that security and compliance in mobile apps should be important in the development phase, the reality is, it is not.

"From a development point of view, [security] is boring and gets in the way of getting to the cool stuff that being the features and functionality [of an app]", Randy Hearn, Info-Tech Research Group senior research analyst, says.

He warns that security is often lacking in the design specs of a mobile application project. "The problem is that a lot of developers don’t understand the nuances around developing for a mobile environment yet".

But Hearn says that one way to make developers start thinking about adding security and privacy in their development cycle is pressure from the regulatory bodies and compliance police.

Also, developers need to start thinking about whether or not they would use the app that they are developing and ask themselves do they trust the app.

"If more developers start looking at it like that then they are more likely to focus on the security side of things", Hearn says. [But] right now it is about getting that app out there and we need to turn that page and get to apoint where now that we got the mobile applications out there, we need to focus on the quality, the security, the compliance and all of those issues".

Hearn believes that mobile app development projects will start to take security and privacy into the design process within the next two years because a lot of countries around the world are focusing on the privacy issues and starting to pass more legislation that make the penalties a lot stricter and harsher for business that don’t do it.

"If I wanted to open an e-commerce web store then I have to jump through a certain number of hoops before I get the ability to take that credit card information", he says. "The same thing is going to happen with mobile apps especially if there is financial data included with it".

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Windows mobile application development likely to bloom in the coming years

Windows Mobile Application Development

Windows app market has more than 70 thousand applications. Read on how Nokia and Microsoft are trying to compete for their future. 

The mobile app market is all set to become even more competitive with influx of Microsoft into the market. Recently the windows app store counted its 70,000 application and hopes to see it grow in the coming times. Both Microsoft and Nokia are fighting to regain their position in the market and have also recently invested €18 m to encourage windows mobile application developers and foster a mobile application development environment to benefit both the companies.

Nokia which had a huge market in the past has been pushed down to lower spots by iOS and android operating systems. The touch phenomenon devised by apple offered customers with an aesthetic and high value device called the iPhone. Soon, Google deployed the android in the market and found numerous mobile makers to run it on their devices. This resulted apple to create a niche market while device makers like LG and Samsung created a wide range of android phones that catered to a large user base with cheaper models.

Both, Nokia and Microsoft have the experience to charm the masses. While nokia can vary its device range from as low as $20 to $800, Microsoft can easily employ its vast user base of windows OS with utility based cloud computing services. Like office 365, Microsoft can create a dedicated cloud service with additional benefits that can even challenge the iCloud services from Apple, If not by features then definitely by the size.  

As the windows market grows further, windows mobile application development will also see a huge boost in the coming years.

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Mobile apps and mobile websites will steer your business in future

Mobile App Developme

Mobile apps and mobile websites are going to be the most important vehicle to drive your businesses growth. Read more to find out.

By 2015 more than 1 billion of mobile devices will go live globally. The internet usage is increasingly shifting everyday to the mobile devices and thus it is important for organizations to utilize the Smartphone medium to flourish and promote their businesses.

An application for your target buyers is a good way to get started. Organization and even small business owners are increasingly making use of applications to be in touch and generate business in real time. Be it a multiplex or a renowned coffee shop, they all have an iPhone or android app for their customers to get or book services while they are on the go. The app trend is increasingly catching up with cost effective Mobile App Development in off shore development centers. In the long run, mobile apps can also generate revenues through in-app advertisement. In-app advertisements are banner ads with which you can allow advertisers to advertise on your mobile application. There are specific indices that will determine the revenue generated from your application

Another major factor that must be taken into consideration is optimizing your website according to mobile devices to catch hold of your customers who are incresingly browsing with mobile devices. It is perceived that a normal website optimized for broadband will work with mobile devices as well however this is entirely false. Mobile devices with their varying resolutions and low bandwidth might result to distorted page display and ultimately high bounce rate. It is thus extremely important to hire talented team of mobile developers who must possess deep knowledge of mobile app development along with technologies like HTML5 to optimize your website for mobile devices. This is the first and the most important step to take your website into the pockets of millions of potential buyers.

The future will be in hands of businesses who successfully exploit and move first into the mobile revolution. They will ultimately win over and retain their customers. After all it’s the early bird that gets the worm

Openxcell Technolabs is a world class mobile app developer specialized in iOS, Android Blackberry and windows phone application development.To know more about the company visit, http://www.openxcell.com/

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HP releases tools for mobile app development

Analyst says HP has taken 'a good first step' into the Mobile App Development and deployment market with its Application Transformation Solutions

 

HP announced on Tuesday the release of several tools aimed at simplifying the enterprise mobile application development and deployment processes.

RELATED: Enterprise application store: There's one in your future

HP announced Application Transformation Solutions, a suite of services and software that provide social media-influenced collaboration tools for development teams, intelligence and management tools for the development lifecycle, a platform through which mobile apps can be distributed to customers, and a mobile app testing service offered through a partnership with Perfecto Mobile.

MORE: The mobile app developer's dilemma: How to get paid without annoying users

Related Content

Paul Evans, worldwide lead for application transformation at HP, says the Application Transformation Solutions are HP's answer to the growing demand for customized applications designed with customer engagement in mind. In order for enterprises to develop and offer these tools regularly, however, many will need to undergo fundamental changes to the way they develop new products, Evans says.

"We have got to change the way we think about software, how we build software and how we distribute software," Evans says. "And that is going to change."

Among other things, operational change in the age of mobile apps will entail more effective communication between line of business decision makers and the technology side of the enterprise, says Matt Morgan, global senior director of product and solution marketing for HP's IP solution business unit.

"The line of business is becoming more aware of the capabilities, largely through consumerization," Morgan says. "They go to the Apple Store and learn about all this stuff and ask, 'Why can't I have this?' So their requirements of their IT shop are evolving."

However, HP's best chance at establishing itself in this market is through its testing solution, says Dave West, Forrester Research vice president and research director serving application development and delivery professionals. HP's partnership with Perfecto Mobile gives it an edge by providing on-demand access to Perfecto's cloud-connected devices upon which applications can be tested for reliability, West says. Combined with HP's focus on mobile app deployment, testing tools will help set it apart from the rest of the market, he says.

"HP is in a good position. If it was all about custom application development, then they're not as strong as an IBM or a Microsoft or the open source world," West says. "But if it's about enterprise deployment, they have an incredibly strong offering."

However, one of HP's main strengths may also be seen by some customers as a weak spot. By partnering with Perfecto Mobile on its testing service, HP may instill uncertainty in potential customers expecting HP support, West says.

"Obviously, if you're buying from HP you'll want to feel some level of security in the situation," he says. "The thing that's interesting about this is it will make [the customer] question who owns this. If something goes wrong, who's on the hook? That's what it'll do. It'll probably slow down deals more than stop them."

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Twitter's 'promoted tweets' now showing up in mobile apps

Next time you log into Twitter, whether on a Web browser or smartphone and tablet app, you may see an advertisement from a company you don't follow on the popular social networking site.

On Tuesday, the San Francisco company announced that it had made changes that will allow it to publish "promoted tweets" from advertising companies across its apps and website. Twitter also said, in a blog post, that it will offer advertisers the option of targeting promoted tweets by filtering them to show up only on the iPhone and iPad, on Android devices or on other mobile gadgets.

Previously, promoted tweets would show up only to Twitter users who followed the company paying for the advertising tweet.

"Since we began testing three weeks ago, reactions have been positive," Twitter said of the move to promoted tweets also showing up in mobile apps. "Starting today, we are expanding this test, enabling brands to target Promoted Tweets to mobile users that share similar interests with their existing followers."

Although Twitter is offering advertisers the ability to target their promoted tweets, "the default setting simply targets campaigns to users across all devices," the company said.

"Mobile device targeting is great for brands who want to increase the prominence and reach of their message to a particular type of mobile user. For example, mobile game and app sellers can now pinpoint the users who are likely to purchase their products."

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Mobile App Developers See Google+ on the Rise

Recent surveys of mobile app developers found that 66% of them feel Google+ could catch up to Facebook.

When asked why they liked Google+ for mobile devices, respondents said Google's wide range of assets -- search, Gmail, YouTube and Android -- together create a powerful network effect when combined with Google+.

The survey findings ( download PDF ) are from Appcelerator and research firm IDC, which is owned by IDG, the parent company of Computerworld. The findings are based on two surveys conducted in 2011 and updated with a third in January involving more than 2,100 respondents. All of the respondents were Appcelerator customers -- developers who use the company's software tools to build mobile apps.

Facebook already has a huge lead over Google+, with 425 million mobile users and 900 million overall users.
"It might be expected that Facebook would be vastly more important to social strategies [for mobile developers] than Google," the authors wrote. "However mobile app developers see the world differently, with potentially significant impacts to how social plays out in the mobile space, especially for the next billion social users."
The authors noted that in the most recent survey, 39% of developers said that the network effect of all of Google's assets like search and Android "are more important to them than Facebook's social graph."
A social graph is a term of art that refers to the global mapping of people and how they are related. The new survey found that many mobile developers simply don't understand Facebook's social graph and are struggling to leverage it in their app development.

While the survey showed a strong belief in the future of Google+, there has been an erosion in developer interest in building apps for Android phones and tablets.
Interest in building apps for Android phones dropped 4.7 percentage points to 78.6% compared to a survey done last fall. Meanwhile, interest in building apps for Android tablets dropped 2.2 percentage points to 65.9%.

The authors blamed the decline on fragmentation of the Android platform, with so many models of smartphones and tablets on the market from different device makers. With sales of iPads outselling all Android tablets combined, developers tend to be swayed towards iOS and away from Android, the authors noted.

Still, Android is in second place behind iOS, the research showed. Fully 89% of developers were very interested in developing for iPhone, while 88% were very interested in developing for iPad79% were very interested in Android Phone development and 66% were very interested in building apps for Android tablets.

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Free mobile apps 'drain battery faster'

 

mobile apps which use third-party

Free mobile apps which use third-party services to display advertising consume considerably more battery life, a new study suggests.

Researchers used a special tool to monitor energy use by several apps on Android and Windows Mobile handsets.

Findings suggested that in one case 75% of an app's energy consumption was spent on powering advertisements.

Report author Abhinav Pathak said app makers must take energy optimisation more seriously.

Free applications typically have built-in advertisements so developers can make money without having to charge for the initial app download.

Mr Pathak told the BBC that developers should perhaps think twice when utilising third-party advertising and analytics services in their app.

 

Continue reading the main story 

End Quote Chris McClelland App developer

The research, produced by at team at Purdue University in Indiana, USA, looked at popular apps such as Angry Birds and Facebook.

Due to restrictions built into Apple's mobile operating system, the team was unable to run tests on the iPhone.

In the case of Angry Birds, research suggested that only 20% of the total energy consumption was used to actually play the game itself.

Of the rest, 45% is used finding out your location with which it can serve targeted advertising.

'3G tail'

The tests were carried out by running the app over a 3G connection. The results noted that many apps leave connections open for up to 10 seconds after downloading information.

In Angry Birds, that brief period - described by researchers as a "3G tail" - accounted for over a quarter of the app's total energy consumption.

Chris McClelland, director of Belfast-based app developer Ecliptic Labs, said he was not surprised by the findings.

"Advertising needs to connect to the server and send information about location," he explained to the BBC.

"That just takes up so much battery. It seeps up the energy."

He said such practices were largely unavoidable if users wanted to enjoy free, ad-supported games and applications.

However, he said developers should give more consideration to energy consumption when building in new features.

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Facebook Launches Interests Lists To Help You Find And Follow What You Enjoy [Updates]

Facebook has just launched a new feature called Interests Lists. Basically, these are custom lists that allow you to follow a bunch of people who are related in some way. For example, you could have a list featuring every hockey team in the NHL, and click that interest to find out everything that is happening. This keeps these posts in a separate area where you can check them at your leisure, and keeps your news feed dedicated to more real life items.

It’s an interesting move by Facebook because on the surface, it would seem to appeal more to users, because it lets them keep all of their interests grouped together, but it also appeals greatly to advertisers. Businesses can focus adverts based that the particular interest they are looking at. What better way to advertise exclusively to people looking for information about hockey than by having it in a hockey based list?

Interest Lists can also be used to follow friends. This is where it really becomes like Google Plus Circles. You can group your friends together based on whatever you like, and it allows you to only see posts from certain friends.

This feature has some potential, as you can keep things more organized on your Facebook, but the million dollar question is whether users will actually use Interests Lists to keep track of people and brands, or will they just “Like” them as they always have?

No matter how you see it, it’s an update from Facebook that does not intrude on your normal usage, and it has the potential to expand your horizons and increase your time spent on Facebook more than ever.

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Mobile Application Development

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AllClear ID offers free ID theft mobile app

A Texas company is releasing a free mobile app today that will alert people if their personal data has been stolen and makes it into the hands of criminals.

 

AllClear ID offers identity fraud protection services to consumers when their data has been exposed by an attack on a corporate database or other compromise. For instance, Sony hired the company to help its 75 million PlayStation Network customers after the system was hacked and their names, addresses, e-mail addresses and other information were exposed last April.

While very few of the data breach incidents actually result in harm to consumers, such as stolen credit card numbers used for unauthorized transactions, most of the identity fraud results from phishing e-mails and malware, said Bo Holland, chief executive of AllClear ID. And in those cases, consumers may have no idea they've had data stolen from them until they see a charge that is not theirs on their statement.

Identity fraud overall is rising. Cases increased by 13 percent last year with more than 11.6 million adults in the U.S. becoming victims, according to Javelin.

With the AllClear ID Mobile Application for iOS people can get alerts when their data shows up among data that law enforcement, security experts and researchers find on criminal servers and other sources as part of investigations. Various global sources contribute to the data pool, which is coordinated by a public-private partnership called National Cyber Forensics and Training Alliance. AllClear ID has access to that data and helps its customers when their data is detected.

"They're building a clearinghouse for cyber threats and attacks, that tells what computers are sending phishing attacks and driving malware, what information has been gathered," Holland said in an interview.

People can register for the app by providing name, e-mail address and birth date, and can add credit cards and social security numbers if they want for a more comprehensive detection capability when stolen data sources don't include the basic information.

When a customer's data is found to have been stolen, AllClear ID calls the customer to tell them what data was compromised and what they should do. If they don't answer, the service will leave a message, send an e-mail and the app lights up with an alert. There is also general information about privacy problems with apps and mobile devices that is available on the app's home page.

There's a fee-based premium service that offers $1 million in insurance to cover financial losses, credit monitoring and other features. 

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Shunra Teams With SOASTA for Mobile App Testing

Shunra partners with SOASTA to deliver a new mobile app testing solution for iOS and Android devices.

Shunra Software, a provider of network virtualization and application performance solutions, has announced a joint offering with SOASTA, a provider of cloud-based performance and functional testing that focuses on mobile application testing. The joint offering provides an integrated functional and performance test platform for mobile applications, and includes Shunra’s vCat and NetworkCatcher Express Mobile products and SOASTA’s recently announced CloudTest platform with TouchTest technology. “Shunra and SOASTA offer a completeness of vision and natural synergies which enable organizations around the world to now have a proven means for ensuring a positive end-user experience before they deploy mobile applications,” Gary Jackson, CEO of Shunra, said in a statement. “Because every second of delay impacts revenue, productivity or customer loyalty, this joint solution is an invaluable component of any organization’s testing practice, and we are pleased to partner with a leader like SOASTA in support of our goal of delivering an end-to-end mobile performance test platform.” Shunra’s NetworkCatcher Express Mobile enables capture of real-world mobile network conditions, including latency and packet loss, from any iOS or Android mobile device. Users can then import those captured mobile network conditions to Shunra’s vCat and create a virtual network precisely representative of the production network for application testing. The combined solution also features SOASTA’s CloudTest platform with TouchTest technology that delivers functional test automation for continuous multi-touch, gesture-based mobile applications. Revolutionary new TouchTest technology precisely captures and plays back all gestures including pan, pinch, zoom, and scroll from within the tested application. Mobile Applications can then be tested across a virtual network powered by Shunra vCat creating the most reliable and accurately predictive method to test mobile applications. “TouchTest eliminates reliance on imprecise optical-recognition testing approaches and the limits of tethered device testing,” said Tom Lounibos, CEO of SOASTA, in a statement. “We are excited to pair this capability with Shunra’s network virtualization and mobile application performance testing capabilities to bring this new and valuable approach to testing to market.” The combined Shunra-SOASTA solution provides a fast, reliable and accurate platform for functional and performance testing using real mobile devices and real network conditions. The combined solution is available today and is being brought to market by both Shunra and SOASTA.  Original Source Mobile Application Development

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appMobi Launches jqMobi 1.0 HTML5 Mobile App Framework

appMobi releases jqMobi 1.0, its open-source HTML5 mobile app framework.

appMobi has announced the release of jqMobi 1.0, the initial generally available version of its new open-source HTML5 mobile framework for building apps for mobile devices. appMobi originally created and open sourced jqMobi to remedy the poor cross-platform performance of JavaScript frameworks on iOS and Android, the company said. Frameworks like jqMobi speed the development of HTML5-based mobile apps that are deployed as Web apps or as hybrid iOS and Android apps created using appMobi or PhoneGap/Cordova. The jqMobi HTML5 mobile framework includes three functional libraries: jqMobi, a blazingly fast query selector library with jQuery-compatible syntax; jqUI, a touch-based user interface library for WebKit browsers that handles headers, footers, transitions, scrolling lists, transitions, forms, carousels and Android bug fixes;and jqPlugins, a jQuery-compatible plug-in manager for WebKit browsers. As a proponent of the open mobile Web, appMobi has developed tools and cloud-based services built on HTML5, CSS and JavaScript, creating a unified, open ecosystem that competes favorably with “walled gardens” offered by Apple and Google. In 2011, the company released several of its core technologies as open source, including its cross-platform mobile device API, mobiUs Web browser, the jqMobi app framework and directCanvas HTML5 game acceleration. The 1.0 release of jqMobi includes numerous improvements, bug fixes and tablet enhancements that have been contributed by the open-source community. At its original launch in January, jqMobi had only 30 API functions and basic event support. The 1.0 release features more than 60 API calls, expanded event support and query selector compatibility, along with many bug fixes. jqUI now has six color themes to choose from, vector-based iconography and it works seamlessly on tablets. jqUI is still very small, only 21K bits minified and gZipped. Additionally, jqMobi 1.0 is still just as fast as the beta version and only slightly larger, at 5K bits minified and gZipped. Initially launched as open source on January 16, jqMobi has been rapidly embraced by the mobile HTML5 development community, with more than 10,000 downloads, 80 “forks” and more than 500 watchers on its GitHub repository. “jqMobi could not have been released at a better time,” said Michael Bryne, a developer at Fueled Media, a Web design firm, in a statement. “As my first foray into Mobile Application Development, jqMobi allowed me to get my app up and running in record time, with a full feature set and rock-solid one-of-a-kind support from the development team. I cannot recommend jqMobi and jqUI enough." appMobi officials said most JavaScript app frameworks deliver a good user experience on iOS devices, yet many have difficulties with the highly fragmented Android platform. However, jqMobi offers developers a solid framework that delivers equivalent user experience on iOS and Android platforms. In terms of numbers, the Android platform dominates the mobile industry, with 850,000 new devices being authorized per day. appMobi claims. In November 2011, appMobi open-sourced some of its core HTML5 technology. appMobi announced on Black Friday, November 25, that it would open-source key elements of its mobile technology to further accelerate the industry's migration to HTML5. The open-sourced technology included the appMobi cross-platform device APIs, which support HTML5 development for both Android and iOS platforms. appMobi also released the source code for its “mobiUs” browser, which allows HTML5 Web apps to perform identically to native apps. And appMobi rounded out the bounty of technology made available to HTML5 developers with its “DirectCanvas” technology, which accelerates HTML5 canvas rendering, physics calculations and sound by as much as 1,500 percent, providing native performance to HTML5-based games. “We believe in the open Web and the importance of an open environment for mobile apps and services,” said appMobi CTO Sam Abadir in a statement. “To help advance the industry’s move from native apps to Web-based apps, we are sharing our mobile HTML5 knowledge with the global software development community. Among other benefits, the innovations in this open-source release will improve the mobile Web experience through faster downloads, better offline usage and dramatic HTML5 game performance increases. An improved HTML5 user experience is the ‘rising tide that lifts all ships’ for open Web mobile developers, and we are happy to pour our technology into that harbor.” Original Source

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Mobile app to translate sign language

 A mobile application designed to translate sign language could remove communication barriers and enhances the lives of people with hearing difficulties.

The Portable Sign Language Translator, designed by University of Aberdeen spin-off Technabling, runs on a multitude of mobile devices, including smartphones, laptops and tablets.

Funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), along with the

Technology Strategy Board - part of the Small Business Research Initiative - its aim is to help more people with impaired hearing of school leaving age to get their first step into the jobs market through stronger communication opportunities. 

“The aim of the technology... is to empower sign language users by enabling them to overcome the communication challenges they can experience, through portable technology," said Dr Ernesto Compatangelo, a computer science lecturer at the University of Aberdeen and founder of Technabling.

"The key intent is to enable sign language users of this age, and beyond, to overcome the communication disadvantage they experience, allowing them to fulfil their education potential and enter the job market.”

The app uses a camera on the device to record the sign language and then translates the motions into text, enabling people with hearing impairments to converse with those who cannot sign.  

Although the app will work with British Sign Language and Makaton, it also enables users to personalise their signing, giving them more opportunities for expression than the more strict sign languages allow. 

“One of the most innovative and exciting aspects of the technology, is that it allows sign language users to actually develop their own signs for concepts and terms they need to have in their vocabulary, but they may not have been able to express easily when using BSL,” added Dr Compatangleo.

 Technabling is hoping to make the app publicly available next year, but is calling on more people in and around Aberdeen to take part in trials to boost its accuracy. 

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Mobile Application Development

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Mobile app for android and smart phones by Corp. Bank

Public sector lender Corporation Bank has introduced a new Mobile Application System for android and smartphones to reach out more to customers. The new app has been inaugurated as part of the 107th foundation day ceremony of the bank.

CMD of the bank, Mr Ajai Kumar said that a similar app would soon be introduced for iPad and iPhone.

The android apps would be available at the Android marketplace and apps for Apple products would be available soon at Apple iTunes store.

Mr Kumar added that Corporation Bank happens to be the first bank to come up with such an app.

The app will facilitate customers to leave their contact details regarding enquiry of a particular product instantly and the bank will reach out to them. Also the app will allow customers to search for nearest ATMs in their locality.

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Mobile Application Development

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Mobile App Development: Web or Native, That Is the Question

When a programmer starts looking at Mobile Application Development, one of the first questions that comes to mind is whether to go native versus Web technology.

Although Objective-C is key for building native iOS apps, Java for Android and BlackBerry, and C# and Visual Studio tools for Windows Phone, the opportunity to build mobile apps with Web-standard technologies is making many developers think about the Web as a first option. HTML5 and JavaScript have essentially changed the game.

Indeed, Forrester Research issued a January 2012 report on the subject, titled "Building Mobile Apps? Start With Web; Move to Hybrid." In the report, Forrester identifies not two options—native versus Web—but four: native, hybrid (native code with HTML and JavaScript), mobile middleware platforms, and a straight Web technologies approach with HTML5 and JavaScript.

"I don't think there is going to be a clear winner in the native versus Web debate, but different workloads will trend toward one technology or the other," Jeffrey Hammond, the principal author of the Forrester report, told eWEEK. "For example, I still see most customer-facing apps written in native code, but I'm also seeing a lot of B2E [business-to-employee] apps written with a hybrid style or on top of middleware. Likewise, device-centric workloads tend toward native code, while multichannel services (e.g. social networking, content) are moving toward Web and a hybrid style."

"With the gap between native and Web shrinking dramatically, applications that share a common, Web-standards-based code base are appealing and also a very real option," said Dylan Schiemann, CEO of SitePen and co-creator of the Dojo Toolkit JavaScript library. "Creating apps for each native platform, as well as the desktop Web, all with disparate technologies, is not my idea of fun, especially now that we are equipped with HTML5 and open-Web technologies like Dojo Mobile, Wink Toolkit, Maqetta and PhoneGap to create extraordinary mobile application experiences. By clearly separating data from user experience, it's possible to more efficiently create applications that target the platforms of today and tomorrow."

On the one hand, you get faster code execution with native code versus JavaScript. However, Web apps cost less to port to multiple platforms. Also, Web apps are easy to change and give developers more control over their content.

Plus, it's easier to find developers skilled in Web technologies rather than in native code. And the Web-standard technologies tend to be less of an intellectual property risk, potentially limiting exposure to lawsuits, the Forrester report said.

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Apple releases new iOS 5.1 update

The update brings a bunch of improvements as well as security fixes for iOS devices.

Apple has released a new iOS 5.1 update with bunch of improvements for iOS running devices. This new update is more like an improvement providing stop-gap update till the next version is unveiled. The iOS 5.1 update is applicable to the iPod touch 3rd Gen, iPod touch 4th Gen, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad and iPad 2.

New iOS 5.1 update brings the new network indicator for the AT&T networks in the USA and now shows the 4G symbol. Most important aspect to look forward in this update is the fixes related to the battery life issues.

Apple iPhone 4S was reported of draining battery and so were other gadgets after applying the iOS 5.0 update. Hopefully the new update would help users to get a consistent battery life after a fair usage.

Camera app has been redesigned for the iPad tablet with this fix; the camera app shortcut will now be available on the iOS 5.1 compatible iPod touch and iPhone devices. The camera's face detection feature will now be able to highlight all the faces detected. Following that, all the unwanted photos can be directly deleted from the Photo Stream.

Support for Japanese language has been added in Siri and other issue related to call drops has been fixed. The new iOS 5.1 update needs to be downloaded over the air to the iOS device directly. Apple is expected to show the next generation iOS update sometime in coming weeks.

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Microsoft to shut down Windows Mobile app store

Marketplace users pushed to join Windows Phone

Microsoft will soon shut down the app store for Windows Mobile, the phone platform it is phasing out.

Starting in May, users of Windows Mobile phones won't be able to browse, buy or download apps to their phones from the Marketplace, Microsoft wrote in a letter to customers. The move doesn't affect users of Microsoft's new mobile OS, who will continue to be served by the Windows Phone Marketplace.

Applications already downloaded from the old market will continue to work after May 9, and some publishers might continue to offer their apps through other markets or their own websites, Microsoft said. It cautioned users that if they do a hard reset and delete apps on their phone, they won't be able to download them again from the Marketplace.

The move is a milestone in a transition that has seen Windows Mobile's share of the smartphone market decline from 37 percent in 2006 to 3 percent last year, according to research from NPD Group.
Microsoft's new mobile operating system, Windows Phone, has yet to pick up the slack. It had 3 percent of the smartphone market in October last year, NPD found.

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New mobile app provides B2C communication without clutter

Red E App, a new mobile application platform, launched its beta program for businesses this week.

The platform allows businesses to rapidly develop mobile applications, in less than 30 minutes, that offer secure social service messaging and notifications. Red e App is now available in the iPhone App store for a pool of consumers in hyperlocal communities. Businesses can direct their target audiences to view their application in the markets they serve.

The mobile platform is available to any business, saving time and money on messaging that is usually spent on ads or direct mail. It can plug into the business's key components of a website and its social media, offer up location information, and store hours, and handle promotions for seasonal items. It also can allow for small group messaging, as well as customer feedback to operations and other customers.

"I saw a need in the mobile marketplace for companies to be able to have a voice in their neighborhood that could be deployed quickly and tied to other multi-channel marketing already underway, like point-of-sale and emarketing. This new mobile communications platform guarantees engagement and prioritizes messaging and content on the mobile device for consumers, members, employees and affiliates," said Jonathan Erwin, CEO and founder, Red e App.

With Red e App, businesses can have a persistent content presence and a direct communication channel to existing and potential consumers with broad exposure to all Red e App users in their selected market area.

"Email and text are great communication tools, however, with the amount of email individuals are receiving on a daily basis, it is difficult to filter through the clutter. While texting is growing in popularity among businesses, we believe texting will become just as spam-ridden as email has become and extremely intrusive," said Jim Ferrell, of Fat Jimmy's pizza franchise in Louisville, Ky. "Red e App provides businesses with the engaging experience customers are seeking for the services important to the customer and on the customers' terms."

Fat Jimmy's has added the app to three of its locations this week.

Red e App is a hosted service where business customers login to a web-based portal and create their profile and content for display in the mobile application. The business's participation in Red e App will drive brand, products and service messaging using Red e Notifications sent to the business's consumers.

"Businesses can and will use this new mobile platform to have consumers check deliveries, receive valued information, like discounts and promotions, as well as news of interest, navigation to maps, schedules or just direct links to the web or other social media properties," Erwin said.

For the B2C portal, the consumer does not need to provide their personal contact information, such as email or mobile number. They just need to select the participating Red e App businesses they want to hear from. Thus far, three regional restaurants have signed up for beta phase, including Fat Jimmy's, Papalinos NY 

Pizzeria and The Comfy Cow Handmade Ice Cream and Desserts.

The free app is available on the iPhone and will be available soon on the Android OS. More information is available at www.redeapp.com.

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