rbsupadminnextjssite, Author at Redbytes Software

Posted on July 25, 2017 by rbsupadminnextjssite

The traditional art of learning has witnessed a huge change with the introduction of technology. The old system restricted new changes in the modes and methods of teaching and there was no questioning the supreme authority of teachers.

Modern day teachers are facilitators rather than authoritarians. Also the student status has changed from that of passive listeners to active contributors of self development.

This change in view towards imparting education was accompanied in the last few years by research and growth of the education app development industry.

There are thousands of apps being developed and launched in order to provide assistance to formal education in schools and colleges.

What awaits Education?

We cannot just predict the future of education and learning from plain guesses or draw non-objective conclusions. Education as we know it today had very humble beginnings.

Our reservoir of knowledge in every stream was the result of our predecessors’ continuous effort to innovate and discover.

Later, at least in several countries this process came to a halt, and the only meaning that the word education carried with it for a lot of people became memorizing and retaining what had been memorized.

Read also : Best Educational Apps For Kids

There was no need for innovations or individuality in learning. Curiosity and critical thinking were only required limitedly.

Education app development is a highly demanding task in itself. They should be appropriate to the age group and should match with the curriculum and the needs of each individual child.

So it is important that you contact the right Educational app development company to deliver your apps that will cater to your specific educational needs.

Taking Educational apps to the Future

Nowadays, majority of students in developed countries are smartphone owners. Mobile devices have drifted from luxury items list to essential items list.

It will not be a wonder when in the future, education will be commonly provided through an electronic only medium. Each student will have their own device which is either owned or provided by their institution.

As of now, educational app learning is not intended to be an educational method in itself but rather it is supposed to complement the existing ways. Students can take advantage of learning at their convenience with these apps.

Self-teaching and anytime-learning are all positives of learning with apps. The way students learn is diverse and mobile apps provide this flexibility.

Role of Teachers and Parents

Teachers, parents and students should be aware of the changing trends in the industry. The major ones emerging now is going cloud and being social.

Smart devices with educational apps installed on them have the potential to replace notebooks and textbooks. It will altogether change the prevalent concepts of classrooms and the ways students are taught.

Students and teachers can locate themselves locally or globally and be a member of the same school or university.

Educational apps provide many benefits to students which include convenience and fun elements while learning. As mobile devices overtake computers, could these apps be the future of learning?

Everything is available in a Single Device

In virtual methods, children are expected to start learning when they feel at any time in the day as the notes would be available on the app and you need not have to wait for a class or lecture.

Educational apps promote self-learning as they are handy and provides a wider range of information on a single device.

Organised Learning

Before, learning was documented via paper, extensive files etc. Educational apps, however, allow learning in a smart and systematic way. Files are saved online in an organised manner and are easily accessible for learners.

Apps provide enhanced learning experience for the students as compared to the regular classes. This enables them to take more interest in all the subjects, even the ones which they found boring earlier.

Beneficial For all Users

While educational apps are beneficial to children, parents and teachers can also get benefited from these apps. Teachers can use apps to organise their teaching plans to make classes more interactive. Apps are easy to alter and update, essentially giving users more time to spend on learning.

With the use of cloud technology, information can be stored and retrieved universally. Teachers can share learning aids such as pictures, PDFs, videos, podcasts etc.

Online which can be accessed from the student’s smartphone or tablet. They can also grade their student’s assignments and projects likewise.

Education app development holds to be the future in education, where students can learn from anywhere and teachers can teach from anywhere.

Overall, educational apps have certainly improved self-learning, as they are convenient, easy and provide a range of different learning styles, in and out of the classroom. So, definitely education apps can move on to be the future of learning in coming years.

Also Check : Latest Updated Educational Apps Directory List

Posted on July 21, 2017 by rbsupadminnextjssite

“Where to start android app development?” This is a question that every budding developer has faced in the beginning of their journey. App development is not just about learning the code syntax. There are a whole lot of tools and Android app development software that you need to get familiar with.

This article will help you to get started.

The Android Software Development Kit

The SDK comprises of a collection of tools that helps you in android app development.

The IDE is a part of the SDK, and is the main program that lets you write code, organize and edit various files, call libraries, perform testing etc. There are two important IDE for Android, viz., Eclipse and Android Studio.

Eclipse: It is the default IDE for Android, which allows you to work with Java and XML files.

Android Studio: Android Studio is a good alternative to Eclipse, though it can’t be used for every need that you may have, currently. The IDE is directly developed by Google at present, and is in the prolonged beta.

Here are some great resources for you to start learning the basics.

Android Developer Hub

Android developer hub is Android’s official developer website. You can get access to awesome tools & downloads, a never ending list of library items, code samples, training and everything related to Android here.

Codementor

You can get a lot of tips, tutorials, and expert advice from experienced Android developers in Codementor. The site will also allow you to sign up and receive email updates.

Android Weekly

This is your ultimate source to get free subscription to weekly newsletters and content rich articles, tutorials, videos, and more.

Udacity

This is an 8-week online class to learn android app development. The course is taught by Google engineers, which helps you to learn some of the core concepts better.

Android Debug Bridge

The ADB is a command line tool that allows you to communicate with a plugged-in Android device. The client-server program will let you make changes to the device. Here are some helpful resources.

Vogella: This will start right from the basics and takes you through the working of the ADB and the different scopes of using it.

ADB User Guide: This resource comes as Google’s official documentation and gives you a detailed idea about using the tool.

Android Developer Guidelines

Google gives you a great number of tutorials and guides, so that you can understand how to program your apps. Some sections are:
Google services, where you get features like map & locations, sign-in services etc.
API Guides, where you can read about adding tons of functionalities, such as basic animation and connecting to the web.
Sample Codes, for adding various functions.

Android Design Guidelines

Just like Apple’s User Interface guidelines, Google has it’s own set of design guidelines for it’s developers. Here, you can read the instructions and tips related to different topics on creating application interfaces such as animation, usability, layout, style etc. For e.g., the guideline details how you can design an interface that adapts not only to the mobile phone interface, but also tablets, TVs, and even watches.

Google has also come up with a new design metaphor, Material Design, which will add innovation and the possibilities of technology & science into it.

Git

Git is a version control system that can be directly integrated into the Android IDE. You can manage old and new project versions with the help of Git, and use it as a backup tool. Two of the most popular Git repository services are GitHub and BitBucket.

Vogella, Bitbucket Tutorials, and GitHub Guides contain a lot of guides and tutorials for people who want to get trained in the area.

developer.android.com: This is one of the best place to find Android related resources. This site contains a vast supply of information with detailed contents for the beginner level in addition to some of the more experienced developer content.

Know the basics of Java : To be successful in Android app development, every developer needs to have a good grasp of Java language, Android app architecture and Android API. Java is a language used in Android and once you learn it, connect your concepts with XML designs to apply with Android principles.

Envatotuts+ : It’s a free resource with written tutorials. There is a huge selection of tutorials and courses which range from a general view to more specific tasks. It also contains general Java tutorials, geared up specifically towards Android app development.

Udemy : This is a free solution for learning Android development. It contains different courses of varying lengths, where the contents are taught by talented and experienced instructors.

While you are certainly heading towards Android development, a look through the materials illustrated above will definitely help you to collect a little background knowledge.

Posted on July 21, 2017 by rbsupadminnextjssite

Geo-Conquesting that falls in the category of location-based marketing is becoming the main focus of digital advertising. This mainly targets on sending messages to target audience based on their current location.

As consumers tend to move from traditional browsing methods to mobile phone ads, advertisers concentrate more on mobile marketing techniques to reach out the audience. The success of this method depends upon the speed of your marketing efforts and the ability to keep up with on-the-go consumers.

How does Geo-Conquesting help Mobile Advertising?

Geo-Conquesting is a variation of Geo-fencing or Geo-targeting. Here, digital ads are restricted as they are only shown on the basis of location of a customer’s IP address.

Today, location-based services have become a necessary element in our daily life. Most of us depend on the GPS to check-in to restaurants, cafe, other shops, etc. via Facebook or even share location with family/friends on WhatsApp. Therefore, the practice has shown to grow in the past few years.

Here are a few ways in which Geo-conquesting is evolving mobile space and the opportunity this strategy provides for extending the reach and success to users through ads:

• It creates a boundary around a defined area, such as a few miles around the targeted store. Ads are only sent to people who moves across this boundary

• Ads are shown to people in a specific city, state or within a particular pin-code that you target. This is to ensure that ads focus on people who would want to visit your store

• Allows advertisers to intercept customers. Price cuts and other offers are given to entice users away from competitors

• Many digital ad agencies use a combination of both Geo-conquesting and Geo-fencing to influence users

• This advertising technique is generally popular among restaurants & hotels, retail stores, or any other businesses or industries, financial services, insurance, telecommunication sectors, etc.

• As Geo-conquesting leverage users’ current location, time, state of mind etc. you can create a highly effective and applicable advertisement to achieve significant user engagement level to drive competitors’ customers to yours

• Costs for mobile ads are relatively low when compared to other traditional advertising methods

• As competition is increasing in the field of advertising, hyper-local mobile ads is the best choice to offer value added services.

• This strategy of advertising mainly focuses on marketing your business, products and services to the right consumers at the right time

• For some consumers, it provides customized actions as in the form of search results, banner ads, etc. that promote a unique product with better price offers than the competitor store

• For regular customers, special push notifications are triggered when users enter the targeted location. This can include one-time offers & deals, discounts etc.

• Geo-conquesting strategy of advertising is generally used in coffee shops/restaurants to generate more traffic and higher revenue. Local shops/café use such banner ads, push notifications, etc. to attract customers with promises of limited time offerings, unique flavours and faster services

Advertisers are grabbing the latest targeting technologies to drive consumers to their locations and create loyalists. Smart phones give mobile marketers the ability to analyse a consumer’s current and future location behaviours for shaping the relevant mobile ad content to achieve higher user engagement levels.

To achieve the target audience, you need to have a valid reason that why consumers need to leave the other store and come to yours. So be creative enough and offer something, that is, relevant to an individual’s intentions in a particular moment of choice.

Posted on July 12, 2017 by rbsupadminnextjssite

Xamarin is a mobile app development framework that allows you to create simple form of native apps that can share codes across Android, iOS and Windows.

Xamarin opens possibilities to aim at different mobile platforms by sharing up to 90% of the created codes. It provides a full access to Android and iOS APIs, using the same language and data structures on all platforms.

Platforms Supported

Xamarin mainly offers three main choices:

1) Visual Studio: Helps to develop Android and iOS apps.

2) Xamarin Studio: Xamarin’s own IDE, which provides high quality to accelerate mobile app development processing.

3) Xamarin Studio: Best at developing apps for both Android and iOS. Xamarin’s combination with Xcode does make testing and designing of iOS app development more easier.

Based on C# along with NET Framework, Xamarin makes works easy for developers to create apps for cross platforms. About 90% of the source code can be reused which results in speeding up the development part of the app making process.

There is no need to switch between different development environment as it works on both Visual Studio (for Windows) and Xamarin IDE (for Mac).

To build native apps (Android, iOS, Android) you need:

1) To start working with Android and Windows apps you need a windows computer with Visual Studio and Xamarin installed. And in-case you are working on iOS apps, a Mac with Xamarin and Xcode should be installed.

2) After Setup and installation, verify whether everything is ready for development procedure. Once verifications are completed, you can step on to the next steps:

• Learn basics with Xamarin.Forms

• Start building apps with native UI using Xamarin

3) Set Up a Solution– Steps to create solution with native UI:

• Firstly, you need to create a Blank app solution by using Visual Studio and name the app

• Click OK to create the solution. At this time, different projects are showcased, with access to native designer for the corresponding platform. Platform specific screens can also be implemented in this part.

• Add NuGet and Newtonsoft.Json package to the PCL project. This is used to retrieve information from the data services. This step is repeated several times and then install the Microsoft.Net.Http package.

• Finally, your solution is built for the app and verify that there are no built errors.

4) Write & Share the Data Service Code

For any app development using Xamarin Cross-Platform Development, the code is written on the portable library class(PCL) that can be shared across different platforms in future. PCL are automatically included in packages built by Android, iOS and Windows app projects.

5) Design UI

Next design the user interface, connect it to your shared code and run the final output. At this part you need to set properties like layout, background, text view, text colour, text style etc. Once the properties are fixed, save the file and switch to design view and finally, the UI appears.

In iOS, connect to a Mac on your local network with Xcode and Xamarin installed. After this directly use iOS designer in Visual Studio.

6) Consume the Shared Code: Open the file of the App project in the code editor and replace the generated C# code its contents with the codes.

7) Run the App

• Set it as the start up project in Explorer
• Select an appropriate target/device, then start the application

8) Testing app on Android

Testing Android app using a Visual Studio Android Emulator is an easy technique. Firstly, you have to select the app project, choose a device to emulate and then click to start. The Android emulators are generally slow and should take some time to load. If everything is built properly, your app must run on Android perfectly.

9) Testing app on iOS

Testing on iOS is little difficult when compared with Android devices, because it requires a iOS Mac to provide the emulator. Follow the official instructions given to set up and connect to Visual Studio. Then, select the app project, switch the design plan to iPhone Simulator, choose the version of device used and click Play. Thus, your app test is done.

I guess, now you have a basic understanding about Xamarin Cross-Platform Development. Due to its properties like code sharing, efficiency, use of single technology stacks, native-app like performance, reduced cost and time to launch a product, many entrepreneurs, start-ups mainly the enterprise mobile solutions and Xamarin developers has started to prefer this platform.

Apps built on each platform is unique and Xamarin understands features for each platform. However, business strategies are reusable and this is where Xamarin Cross-Platform Development comes in handy.

Posted on July 11, 2017 by rbsupadminnextjssite

Technology has made life simple and easy. One of the greatest innovations in today’s world is the introduction of mobile applications. Mobile apps have taken over our life. Today one could easily communicate with their families, friends, colleagues and other important people with the help of mobile apps. Mobile app development has become a top priority in many reputed companies.

iPhone is the most innovative Smart phone available in market today. With the past few years it not only revolutionized the world of smart phone but also became a trendsetter. It is well known for its quality and user –friendly features. There is a great demand for the applications made by iPhone Development Company.

Sophistication is an added advantage of iPhone Development Company. Consumers, enterprise and many businesses are always in need of iPhone applications. This is because their requirements are fully satisfied by the applications. Business professionals always prefer dedicated, passionate and experienced iPhone Development Company.

These are the key benefits of approaching an experienced iPhone development company:

1) Expertise in technicalities

An expert organization will have strong technical background and vast knowledge on app development. Strong technical knowledge is what matters for an important design. To implement user-friendly functions and to create error-free apps, experience is necessary.

Pick an organization that is not only experienced, but also reflects well planning, specializations and sound learning. Specialized expertise is important as it will deliver all your goals and meet different areas of brilliance and enhance skills with the latest technologies.

2) Better Infrastructure

A well-reputed iOS app development company will definitely have a great and well maintained IT infrastructure consisting of latest tools and technologies. Better office set-up and technical facilities of a professional team will always be aimed at maximizing employee productivity. Their desire to complete projects in the given time brings way to their success and strong customer base.

3) Exposure

Experienced iPhone Development Company would have worked with both complex and simple projects. The developers will have experience in developing dynamic and creative applications. Using the latest technologies they make applications more user –friendly. They will be capable enough to design better apps and superior intuitive UI for iOS apps. It’s important to utilise the latest technologies and high-end development tools to bring out the world-class mobile apps.

4) Scalability

An experienced iOS development company will have the benefit of scalability also. Their expertise provides dedicated services with full control over resources and project. Also the company fulfils the business requirements along with growth needs of the enterprise.

5) Flexibility

An experienced iPhone development company will provide various flexible hiring models which can be chosen as per the business requirements. One can choose the best for their business.

6) Timely Delivery

An ideal or experienced iOS app development company is known for cost effectiveness, best market timing, and boosting up returns on investment. They have abundant experience in meeting the deadlines and hence delivering the apps at the right time.

7) Communication and Support

An experienced iPhone development company will have good rapport with their clients. They value their clients and know exactly the importance of maintaining a good relation with them.

A well-maintained iOS app development company will certainly assure you support in the future for app maintenance. Professional companies value their customers’, quality feedbacks and in return provide a transparent approach to keep you updated throughout the development process.

8) Versatility

This is one of the main reasons why we prefer an experienced agency. Their dedication and complete control over each project make their mission a successful one. When a project is given, first they try to understand the product before engaging in the work.

9) Freedom of Choice

In an experienced organization, you will have different choices of hiring options, be it on an hourly basis or for the entire project. You can choose the most suitable option according to the business requirement. Discussions can be done about the project that can bring best design and profit to both the parties.

10) Dedication

As an experienced company, you can be sure that your project will be completed in the given time. They would have a professional approach combined with complete dedication towards the project. As a big team, they plan accordingly, work intact and sort tasks beforehand to bring out the best output.

11) Cost Effective Solutions

If the company you choose is experienced, then they will have effective solutions for completing the project at stipulated time period. Rather than engaging experts to develop iPhone apps, it would be better to hire an agency which can provide you quality work, spare finance, time and energy.

12) Get a Global Experience

Working with a company with an impressive portfolio, global experience, and a high number of downloads for their apps is certainly a benefit. Working with such a reputed company with relevant certifications can provide the right price and product quality in the projects they do.

Experience Counts

Working with an experienced company can prove to be advantageous in this complicated mobile market scenario. So always choose an experienced iOS app Development Company if you need on time delivery with high quality. An ideal iPhone development company provides customer satisfaction, best-quality, custom-built designs and creative iPhone apps over low quality apps with unsure user-engagement.

Posted on July 5, 2017 by rbsupadminnextjssite

Sport apps can increase user engagement in different ways as they serve a variety of user needs such as checking scores, game schedules, latest updates etc.

People spend a lot of time in watching, discussing and considering professional sports like cricket, football, tennis, basketball and much more. Sport is like a religion for many people. This results in the development of different sports apps.

Sports apps provide all necessary features and information about games, leagues and players.

Now, let us see how sports apps can increase user engagement.

• Offer relevant push notifications

Push notifications contains some sort of media files that can be a GIF, picture, video, audio or any text updates.

Depending on user interest, they can select type of push notifications they want. Therefore, app delivers relevant notifications and real time information. Users can get latest scores, stories, and big moments of their favourite sport in real time through such notifications.

This can drive more traffic and attract user attention to use the app again and again.

• Location based mobile service

In this service, GPS or RFID is used to track the location of the user’s mobile in specific area. When a user enters certain geographic areas like stadiums or sports events they get notified about inside activities like autograph signing, personal interviews of players, weather report for the day, game statistics and many more. This helps users to know every ongoing activity in the event with its location. Fans get assured of not missing anything they like.

• Connect users with real-time content 24×7

Sports app allow fans to share information, comment and also interact with other users. Through apps, they stay updated, informed and connected with news and blogs about their favourite sport and players. Partnerships of apps with broadcasting networks are helping in providing real-time content at every stage of the game to improve the fan experience. Scores, video highlights and expert analysis can be provided to increase user engagement towards sport apps.

• E-sports gaming

E-Sports is electronic sports an organized competitive gaming played by high level professionals for spectators. E-Sports players around the world play online games with each other same as football or cricket. Such gaming apps have become very popular over the past few years as people are interested in watching professionals play online games. Many apps are present to give up to date information of matches and news regarding e-sports. These apps engage people or fans in their favourite e-sport and provide a platform for interaction.

• Offer mobile ticketing to fans

Depending on location and previous searching history of users, app suggests related events or games taking place. Apps have started collaborating online ticketing feature, where fans can book tickets even at the last minute. These are called digital tickets, which are sent online to mobiles. So fans stay in touch with apps to get information about games, events and tickets.

• Customized news

Some sport apps offer all sports news from different sites without downloading an app each for all sites. Users can search what they want to follow and get all the related content in one go. People who like to gather information on different sports are more likely to engage in these kind of apps.

• Using virtual reality

Virtual reality is a three dimensional, computer generated environment which can be explored and interacted. Even if you are watching matches at home, you get the feel of being in the stadium.
Fans can feel the real action and get a better view of the game in high definition from all angles.
This kind of experience encourages fans to engage more in sport apps.

If you are a sports/gaming app owner, these are a few ideas to increase the engagement rate of your app. Feel free to share any more ideas you might have.

Posted on July 4, 2017 by rbsupadminnextjssite

iPhone app development is highly profitable in the market today. Today it’s hard to imagine a life without apps. Apps are now available for doing almost everything right from traveling, shopping, dining, cooking, exercising, banking and the list goes on. But in order to be successful, one should make the right app with right functionality, right support, and right roll out. You can measure the success of the iPhone app, depending upon the results they achieve on the clients.

The greatest challenge for iPhone app developers is to reduce the time lapse between concept to creation. For a developer a good blog can be a lifesaver. Sometimes it provide accurate and appropriate information to the developers. It also provides hints, tips, practical resources and help in creating codes. There are certain blogs which provide tools and techniques for mobile web and app development.

Here are the list of ten must follow iPhone app development blogs that can be helpful for developers:

1. iOS Dev Weekly

iOS Dev Weekly is technically not a blog but there will be regular updates every week by Dave Verwer. Best iPhone app development links can be obtained from here. Usually it is published on every Friday. It is free.

2.Mike Ash Blogs

Mike Ash Blogs is published by Mike Ash. He is a programmer in Plausible Labs. This blog is really good for learning low level stuff.

3.The Apple Blog

The Apple Blog mostly focuses on informing us about the latest happenings in the world of Apple and providing some of the most helpful tutorials. It is possible to checkout on Adding Analytics to your App.

4.iCode Blog

iCode Blog provides not only tutorials on iPhone but also provide commentary which gives announcement regarding Flash CS5 which makes it possible to export iPhone apps.

5.iPhone SDK articles

iPhone SDK articles provides tutorials on iPhone. The articles will be mainly for adjusting apps to local language, currency and timezone.

6.Cocoa with Love

Cocoa with Love usually provides the cocoa and C-programming tutorials both for Mac and iPhone. It mainly deals on optimizing loading of large tables on the iPhone. It is the best iOS blog by Matt Gallagher. The purpose of this blog is provide information to those people who want to develop an iOS application which pulls data from Rich Site Summary feed, displays it well and put things on map.

7.NSHipster

NSHipster is a journal which contain overlooked bits in Objective- C, Swift and Cocoa. It is updated weekly by Mattt Thompson.

8.Cocos2D iPhone

Cocos2D iPhone is the official blog for the Cocos2D iPhone open source game engine. It is said to be the future home of programming guide. This blog is particularly helpful for getting started with games on the iPhone.

9.Mac Create

Mac Create provides news on iPhone and also it provides a brief summary of interview conducted with developers. Hence this can be a very useful blog especially for beginners.

10.MK Blog

MK Blog is published by Mukunth Kumar. He runs one-man consulting and training company. The blog is all about iPhone development and usability guidelines. He also mentions about product development, in-house training, web service software development kit, web service application programming interface design consultation, other consulting, retainer contracts, blog sponsor ships etc in his blog.

11.Big Nerd Ranch Blog

Big Nerd Ranch Blog, one of the pioneers in blogging on iOS app development was founded by Aaron Hillegass. The blog aims at subjects related to iOS, Cocoa and Objective-C. It contains a number of must-read blogs for iOS developers, which is easy to understand and contains useful codes.

12.RAY WENDERLICH

Ray’s blogs are useful for both a naive or an experienced iPhone app developer. This blog shares useful and latest information. People can also share their thoughts and ideas with others through this platform. Apart from the blog, his tutorials can certainly help beginners to start their venture of app development.

13.Cult Of Mac (iOS)

This is a great place to keep up with the latest updates related to iPhone app development. Cult Of Mac contains all the latest news and tips related to iOS for developers. A daily news website that provides every information about Apple.

14.EDUMOBILE BLOG

Specifically contain blogs and tutorials for iOS app development. EDUmobile Blog can guide developers to learn more about iOS technology from the primary level. You can also software development learning programs from here.

15.OBJC.IO BLOG

objc.io blog provides in-depth knowledge about developing iOS applications and OS X development. Tips and advanced techniques from other developers can also be seen on this site. Contains high-quality videos with live coding and discussions.

16.BLUECLOUD SOLUTIONS BLOG

Blue Cloud Solutions created by Carter Thomas is a good and reliable resource for iOS app developers to get through all the aspects of iPhone app development.

17.APPCODA

This is one of the leading tutorial sites for app developers and anyone who would like to know more about programming. AppCoda has information related to iPad, iPhone, iOS programming, Swift, Objective-C, and building iOS apps.

18.iOS Goodies

This blog is curated by Rui Peras and Tiago Almeida. iOS Goodies is another informative space, which contains high quality posts on iOS, Xcode, iPhone app development, marketing trends, etc.

19.Little Bites of Cocoa

This was created by Jake Marsh. It contains tips on iOS and Mac development for developers. The main concept of Little Bites of Cocoa is to provide the reader a brief overview of a new concept, tool or technique related to iPhone app development.

Demand for iPhone developers has been increasing for the past few decades. Through these blogs developers can easily figure out the latest technology trends in iPhone app development and its usage. The above mentioned blogs would be helpful for the developers if they are looking for the resources which can sharpen their skills and help them to further develop themselves.

Posted on June 28, 2017 by rbsupadminnextjssite

Making of a robot might seem to be complicated, but to create a chat bot is a much easier task these days. Chat bots are a brilliant innovation of artificial intelligence that automatically communicates with internet users to answer their questions.

Even though chat bots are AI based, they are actually made to behave like human beings. They generally perform tasks like providing information, collecting feedback from customers, guide shoppers to find products, etc.

Well, many of you might have a typical question that how can you build a chatbot for your website or mobile app?

Here we have come across the 5 best Chat Bot platform building tools, which are easy to implement or use:

1) MEOKAY

This is one of the top tools to create a simple conversational messenger bot. MEOKAY makes work easier for skilled and non-skilled developers as they can create and designs easily to make steps. It takes just minutes to build the whole conversational scenario and even build advanced dialogues for smooth conversation between the user and the chat bot

Key Features

• Works seamlessly with messaging and comments
• Has the capability to recognise variations in trigger words or phrases
• On demand, these bots can push deals and offers to users
• Can integrate with all major payment systems like PayPal, Stripe, bKash

2) ChatFuel

This is a platform that helps in creating bots for applications like Facebook and Telegram. Here conversational chats can be set, where the predefined answers are sent to the users. Till now, almost 360,000 chat bots have been created using Chatfuel with 17 million users around the world, which includes brands like British Airways, CNBC, Adidas, TechCrunch, MTV, Buzzfeed etc.

Key Features

• Quick replies are the most important feature of this platform tool, in a line chatfuel made bots can provide 1-10 replies and almost 20 symbols

• Share locations along with quick replies, which allows users to send locations to bots and save it as zip file, in any state, city, country, latitude, longitude, address, etc.

•This platform provides a phone call button, which if added to the admin panel will generate phone calls to the users’ number

• Has other features like chat room plug-in, go to block plug-in, audio plug-in, video plug-in

• Chat bots created from this platform can be used as even assistants, personal avatars, customer support, etc.

3) Botsify

This platform helps to create live support chat bots. The most important benefit of this Botsify is that it updates the chats in real-time. A simple drag or drop is enough to make the design of the template. With this tool developers one can create a Facebook chat bot without writing any codes.

Key Features

• It is a Facebook chat bot platform
• Easily integrate chat bots to the system
• Simple to use interface which lets business owners build their own chat bot without any coding
• Helps configure personalized responses, align messages, integrate with WordPress
• Supports media contents like images, audio and video files

4) Pandorabots

Pandorabots is a web service for building and deploying chat bots. It is a free integrated development environment for building chatbots. Using this, you can create AI based chatbots for IOT interfaces, customer services, advertising, games, etc. Almost 225k+ developers use this tool and more than 285k+ chatbots are created till date.

Key Features

• Consist of a tool called AiaaS, which helps in accessing bot hosting platform
• To create chat bots, same contents can be used from the libraries
• Program bots remember the relevant user information
• Can process multilingual languages so that you can create bot for any languages
• Deployable
• Build natural language interfaces for connected things

5) ChatScript

This is known to be one of the best chatbot tools to create a chat app. ChatScript includes many advanced features and are intended to maintain natural conversations with the users. This natural Language tool or dialogue manager is considered to be the next generation chatbot engine

Key Features

• Consist of a simple and easy rule layout combined with C-style general scripting
• Built using the WordNet dictionary
• Planner capabilities of this tool allows the bots to act in real-time
• Capable to remember user interactions across conversational chats
• Document mode within tool allows you to scan documents for written content
• Can read structured JSON data from websites
• Runs on Windows/Linux, Mac/iOS or Android platform servers, which can support more than a 1000 simultaneous users
• This tool can involve multiple bots on the same server

A few years back, every company wanted a website and later on, it was changed onto mobile apps. But now, Mobile App Development Companies and other industries are getting into the AI & bot technology.

With the above platform tools, even more rapid progress is expected in the coming year. So what are you waiting for, it’s time to start building chat bot.

Posted on June 21, 2017 by rbsupadminnextjssite

Augmented reality being one of the greatest technological innovation, affected the mobile app development world big time, especially the gaming industry. It can be used on any devices ranging from smart phone to camera’s. But for augmented reality to work properly there should be an element of reality. This can be done by using a wide television screen or by physically being in the situation. The device you use will superimpose images over reality to create a unique and interactive world.

According to Global AR Gaming Market, AR gaming industry will grow at a CAGR of approximately 151.43% by 2021. Which is a delightful news for all those AR enthusiasts spread across the world..

Impact of Augmented Reality In Games

While AR can be used in almost all aspects of life, it is more often used for gaming purposes. As the feature is gaining a lot of attention among the gamers, several mobile game development companies have come forward offering display devices that help in enhancing the gaming experience. Even Google has released Google Glass, An optical display which can be worn as eye glasses.

Different devices like Wii and Play station offer features to augment reality games where players take on a role and use physical actions to control the movements and actions during the game. This technology is generally used in fighting games, sports games and in online gambling games where players are likely to have a complete control over the game using an AR device.

For gamers and developers, augmented reality opens a lot of new chances of creativity. Mobile games which were usually played on screens can now be played on any surrounding in accordance with the convenience of the player.

AR games are deeply getting implemented in the gaming industry and have different categories like:

1) Strategy-based AR games
2) AR shooting games
3) Sport AR games
4) Geo-location based AR games
5) Table games and Card AR games
6) RPG AR Games
7) AR Quest Games
8) Casino Gambling AR Games

Strategy-Based Games

Creating strategies, fighting with enemies, building cities etc. are the categories that are involved in strategy games i.e. the strategy of the game is combined with reality to bring in a greater experience to the user.

1) Parallel Kingdom: This AR game comes with the feature of strategy. The game enables the player to conquer territories based on his/her location.

AR Shooting Games

AR shooting games allows the player to defend as well as attack in a fierce manner, mainly gunfights as the category suggests

1) Zombie GO: Zombie based games are quite a hit in the gaming industry. This game brings the zombie destructions in real-time. Throughout the game, zombies pop out in every corner to aim at you. The player needs to fight the zombies with the different weapons provided.

Zombie GO is available in Android

2) Real Strike: This is a real life shooting game that includes highly realistic environment and real animations. The user can even record fights and create videos by their own. This game is available on iOS 4.0 and updated versions.

Sport Games

If you are a real sports fan, then you will certainly like the possibility for games in augmented reality. In AR based sport games you’ll be able to play different sports like cricket, football and basketball right at your workplace or anywhere you are.

1) Run An Empire: This is an augmented reality game that will certainly turn you into a regular runner. Here, the player can conquer lands, gain levels, invade land of other players and claim the earned profits. The more you run, the more land you gain.

2) Zombies Run: The main mission of this game is to complete tasks through running or walking. Here the player needs to collect items while running from zombies that chase you.

Geo-Location AR Games

Geo-location games are the most thrilling class in augmented reality games. They use locations and the real maps in the game to augment fantastic creatures and other real life features for the players. Using smart phones that enable GPS, the player can move around and perform tasks.

1) Pokemon GO: This is one of the remarkable gaming project which brought more popularity among gamers. The game became so popular that it even won Guinness records which got to the top list of the highest earning games on last year.

The game based on geo-location shows the battlefield in real environment. Here, players need to catch, train Pokemon to later fight with pets and other opponents.

2) Parallel Mafia: Parallel Mafia game allows you to be in a world which is ruled by criminals. While playing the game, you become the boss of the criminal group in the game you have created.

3) Temple Treasure Hunt: This game is generally meant for myth and mystery lovers. Temple treasure hunt uses Indian mythology based characters which work with the location using a real map. The player can choose roles of either a treasure hunter or a treasure protector while playing.

4) Geo AR Games: Geo AR game can be used by both children and adults. During the game, the player can easily turn city park, gardens etc. into an impressive world with beautiful landscapes and animals. Within the game, players get an opportunity to create fairy tales by their own at beautiful places.

Table Games and Card Games

Such games are one player or multi-player supporting. Here, the table/floor used by the player acts as the battlefield.

1) Genesis: It is a unique card game based on augmented reality. With the help of the AR technology, Characters in the cards comes to life and will attack the opponent card character. you can see this magic through a your mobile phone. All you have to do is download the app and focus your camera directly to the card.

2) Toy Car RC: It is a simple race game for kids. The major character in the game is a car named Wheely’ which travels around the whole world, through space etc. to complete missions

Some of the other table and card augmented reality games include AR Defender 2, PulzAR, Warp Runner etc.

Horror Games: Augmented reality based horror games are highly immersive, binaural and more photo-realistic which are usually played after dark at home with lights off and headphones on.

1) Night Terror: The Night Terror is a scary game controls what you see, hear and where you go. The game transforms your surroundings into a horror film scenery where ghosts hide behind every corner.

RPG (Role Playing Game) Augmented Reality Games

In RPG augmented reality games, the player takes the role of a fictional character who undertakes the hunt in the real-world. An important factor is that the game works according to the players imagination.

RPG games became more popular with the introduction of the game the, Warcraft. Dispersion is another RPG augmented reality game for iOS, Android by using Google glasses and Microsoft HoloLens.

AR Quest Games

These fascinating games allow you to search treasures across the countryside or the neighborhood.

1) Invizimals: The Resistance: Here the player needs to hunt for creatures all around. The aim is to find all the 150 invizimals and save the creatures from being extinct.

2) Geocaching: This game is considered to be the largest treasure hunting AR game in which the treasure is hunted in the hidden places around the planet.

Casino Gambling AR Games

Casino Gambling AR games were the best introduction to the online casino gambling industry. Here the players can enjoy games in real time from a studio or any other location. Such AR games provide the opportunity to interact and play with live players and game dealers.

To give the players a more lively experience, Google has introduced augmented eye wears and 360 degree cameras that will help players to step into action and enjoy gambling.

Conclusion

Even though augmented reality was introduced a few years back, and is still in developing stage. It manages to make ripples in the gaming world. This cutting edge technology seems to have a great future in all fields. One of the top social networking site, Facebook is now working on a platform that supports augmented reality games and location-based features.

As mobile game development is taking more steps closer to augmented reality, there can be amazing possibilities in future not only for gaming apps but also for other mobile apps. Overtime, AR would definitely become an important factor that will bring change on how we use our smart phones and eventually other technologies.

Posted on June 14, 2017 by rbsupadminnextjssite

Mobile app development companies who are into app creation for children must approach things in a different way. In order to make a kid’s app successful, the developer must look at it from a child’s perspective and cater features according to their needs. Apps for children needs to be stimulating, engaging, entertaining, creative, exploratory and at the same time it should also be informative.

Anyhow, there are certain tips and basic rules which app developers need to focus on while making an app which might make the process devoid of confusion.

Before creating an app, certain key points are to be kept in mind, they are:

1) Determination of Goal

To start up any app, the primary importance is to determine the goal which must be set by keeping in mind the specific requirements for children. There are different categories of app for children such as games app, story book apps, maths and phonics apps, educational apps, quiz apps, creative apps etc.

Every company should remember that their idea must be original and unique since competition is high. Most of the renowned kids brands who are new to the app world are now focusing more on making kids apps. Companies such as Nickelodeon, Disney, Penguin, Mattel and Moshi Monsters etc. have already set foot on to the mobile app industry.

The more original your idea is, the more your app will stand out in the mobile market. It’s important to keep apps relatively simple and intuitive. Avoid unnecessary manual settings to the app that make children confused.

Be it a fun, positive engaging or educational app, ultimately parents are the ones who choose the right app for their children, so it is important that developers appeal them as well.

2) Age group must be specified

First of all, make a clear idea that for whom are you creating the app. Is it for small children, teens or for all age groups? The age group you’re aiming at can determine many things related to an app. Ineractivity, look and feel, marketing strategy, price, privacy & information, store category etc. are some of them.

To seek help in this issue you have IARC. IARC (International Age Rating Coalition) is a system of age marking which promotes relevant content ratings and this can help on improving app engagement by targeting the right audience for your content.

To upload an app to Google Play Store developers need to fill in a questionnaire for the automated-age-based rating system, which will then be reviewed by IARC members.

3) UX(User experience) and UI (User Interface) in app for children

UX and UI are a critical part of a kids app. Designers need to concentrate on specifications that can emulate the kind of experience a child gets while playing with real toys. Such apps should be able to capture the attention of children by making it easy to interact with the app. UI or UX is said to be the vital element of any mobile app because design attracts users and keeps it more user-friendly.

Points to be remembered regarding UI and UX

• Kids app should be generally colourful, bright, engaging and sort of funny
• It should incorporate cool 3D effects, textures, sound, fun buttons etc
• Should have a clear menu, bigger text that is easily understandable.
• Loud sound effects and large icons help kids to connect with the app better.
• Actions like swipe, tap, drag and drop can be included
• Feedback like vibration, animation or any sound effect to let the kids know that they have performed an action

4) Choose the Right Platform

Some features for a mobile app might be exclusive for iOS, however, others prefer Android platform because its more appealing to children. But finding the best platform seems to be a difficult task for developers.

The availability of different screen sizes, external hardware devices, easy monitoring etc. makes Android more beneficial when compared to iOS.

iOS prevents kids from installing, deleting and making in-app s whereas Android impose limits to mobile phone usage, block callers and testers and get reports how they use the app. UI/UX of Android and iOS app are different because there are many features that are custom build in iOS which might not be seen in Android.

Being an open source, any feature can be implemented to during Android app development but for iOS, there are several restrictions due to which developers have to think before choosing this platform.

5) Participatory Design

Participatory design or co-design is a simple method to analyze how children see the world. This can involve gathering children of different age groups, usually ranging from 6 to 12, providing them craft supplies and allow them to come up with their own creative designs for your app. This can help designers and developers to get ideas and suggestions from children and also understand the feeling a child has to a particular topic.

6) Make it Colourful

Its a known fact that kids love the colour and they expect the apps they use also to be colorful. Try to make the app bright and engaging. Experiment new things and make sure that things are made clear rather than just stuffing it up. Design should contain interactive elements such as buttons which could have a simple white outline/drop shadow, a background that should be sparkling and wiggle.

7) Content should be kept fresh

When kids get to know that new contents are being added on a regular basis, the retention will be higher, as they get more excited to return back to the app and explore new features. To increase usage, content widgets are a great idea. KIDOZ SDK, is a kid content discovery platform, where apps can be integrated in just minutes.

8) Provide a real-world experience

Children will always be intrigued by everything around them. Games that help kids to explore are quite popular among kids. Such games can also help them to learn about real life facts and experiences.

9) Include feedback options

A great user experience is attained only when the actual aim of making a particular app is accomplished. Adding options like music, rewards, timers, count-downs etc. can entertain children and push them to continue playing. A feedback mechanism is necessary because kids tend to make mistakes and learn from that.

10) Inappropriate Advertisement/ In-app s

Parents are always concerned when their kids start using mobile phones. Their main worry is about how safe it is for kids to use this technology. Children will be tempted to stuffs from app and they can be exposed to inappropriate contents. If a company wish to flourish in kid’s app creation. It would be better for them to keep away from creating this kind of things.

While creating an app, developers should keep this in mind and promote more user-friendly apps. Fortunately, almost all mobile app development companies includes built-in parental control tools that help parents to know what ads or in-app s should be provided while your child is using the phone.

• In iOS systems there are tools that can limit the mobile functioning. Passwords can be set for various features like switching off certain apps, installation and removal of apps
• Android also offers parent control on apps use or a user account with chosen limits that can be created for the child
• In Windows operating systems, there is a special feature called kid corner, activating which, a child will get access only to chosen contents.

11)Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

If you are making an app for children under the age of 13, then there is a law that no personal information should be collected. COPPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, signed in 1998 ensures that those who create apps for kids cannot collect any personal data from children.

12) Usability Testing

Usability testing is the key part in the development cycle of an app. There are certain points which need to be focused on before commencing this test. They are,

• Test mood changes of a child while using the app, whether they are having fun, are they confused or bored while using the app
• Go through button positioning and make sure its placed at the right place
• Check how a child reacts when level changes or transitions occur within an app/game
• Test different colors, layouts, widgets, buttons etc. and choose the optimal ones that can more easily relate to kids

Today’s children live in a technology driven world, where all interactions and communications happen through smart phones. A kid’s app require much more care and consideration than an app aimed at general audience. Even though the business prospects are bright there is a lot of underlying risk to it. So before getting started go through the instructions and opinions listed above and be aware of do and don’t in creating apps for children.

If you have any comment on the above, please share with us in the comment section below.