Conventional systems and processes of existing social and business economies are riddled with a lot of challenges including cumbersome operations, inaccurate results and sluggish standards.

To avoid errors and control the process, they constantly need intermediaries, causing increase in stress and costs. Blockchain Technology is economical, honest, simplified and more effective solution especially for financial services.

You might have heard of digital currencies like Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency. Blockchain is another innovation that ensures digital transactions are acceptably conducted and maintained.

There are more applications of Blockchain than monetary transactions, and more are being developed. So what exactly is Blockchain and how it will be applied to different industries? Here is the entire gist:

What is Blockchain Technology?



The blockchain is a promising distributed ledger technology that works hand-in-hand with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. It creates organized, safe and transparent financial layers between business network and customers, establishing a unique method of transferring and recording huge data.

The data is kept auditable, decentralized and transparent to ensure organizations using the technology remain democratic, efficient, secure and decentralized.

Though Blockchain is still having work-in-progress appearance, it is expected by global tech community and market experts that it may disrupt numerous industries in the next 5 years.

Let’s take a glance at top 11 Block chain applications likely to shape your future business.

1. Insurance Claims Processing

 

Insurance Claims Processing

 

For insurance companies, claim processing can be a tedious and tiring business that may frustrate the investigator teams since it involves assessment of fraudulent claims, complicated data discovery, fragmented sources, past policy records and much more.

Moreover, manual processing can encourage the room for error. The block chain alleviates traditional workloads and establishes a solid system for transparent processes devoid of risks.

It has encryption qualities that allow insurance firms to claim the ownership of the assets being insured.

2. Honest Trade Processes

Traditional nature of trading and managing assets will require working parties to take certain risks and bear more expenses. This gets more risky when it comes to cross-border transactions and deals.

Because brokers and settlement managers involved in the process keep their own records, inefficiencies and inaccuracies are likely to arise.

The block chain ledger technology uses encryption for records and minimizes errors, simplifying the trade and asset management and eliminating the redundant intermediaries.

3. Blockchain-Powered Cloud Storage

Blockchain-Powered Cloud Storage

Blockchain is likely to disrupt cloud storage in coming years. Since cloud storage services at present are centralized, users are compelled to trust their storage provider who controls their online assets.

Blockchain can tweak the way data is stored and make it all decentralized. Currently, Storj is beta-testing cloud storage that leverages the power of Blockchain to lighten their dependency and enhance security.

With Blockchain, users are allowed to even rent out excessive storage capacity.

4. Cross-Border Payments

The mode of global payments is subject to error, risky and expensive. It is also quite time consuming; you may have to go days until the payment reaches you crossing the border.

Cross-Border Payments

The block chain has innovative solution to offer end-to-end remittance services. It has collaborated with remittance companies such as Abra, Align Commerce and Bitspark blockchain-powered payment services.

Santander has successfully integrated blockchain to a payment app to allow customers to make smooth and faster international payments 24 hours a day.

5. Identity Made Simple, Secure and Seamless

For the purpose of paid advertising, online companies share our identity details to advertisers.

The blockchain helps protect your identity by encrypting it and blocks this by creating a secure and protected data point free from spammers and schemers.

Since you can encrypt only less private information, you need to worry less about your digital security.

Blockchain also makes record-keeping seamless, solid and reliable by encrypting your birth and death details. You can track and manage information securely, which keeps you protected from frauds.

Blockchain gives you a digital form of ID that replaces a range of physical identifications like driver’s license, digital passwords, identity cards, keys, passports, social security ID.

6. Smart Contracts

Blockchain is prepared to generate smart contracts in form of obligatory programmable smart contracts presented in a digitized format.

The smart contract system powered by Blockchain technology relieves you from single central authority and avail legal contracts as variable statements that rely on Bitcoin network as a third party executor to release funds.

Effectively revolutionizing traditional lending system, even people with poor credits can invoke unconventional money lenders to receive loan and put their smart blockchain-encoded property as collateral.

They can extricate themselves from showing the history of credits and work or even processing documents manually.

7. Retail

As of today, your joy of shopping is directly attributed to the store or marketplace where products are hosted, which is more of a centralized retail system.

Blockchain-enabled decentralized retail utilities have unique approach and style as it connects buyers and sellers directly eliminating the need for keeping a host marketplace and their associated charges.

This dynamic system will gain from having smart contract systems in place and security of deals and trustworthy reputation.

8. Blockchain Internet-of-Things (IoT)

Using IoT technology, almost any material object can be controlled and treated as a part of Internet of Things when connected with internet or to similar network of objects.

Such interconnected objects or devices are likely to rule the world in future since according to Gartner analysis there will be over 26 billion IoT connected devices by 2020.

Blockchain-powered IoT devices can be automated securely to function independently and take actions based cognitive knowledge.

For instance, your coffee will be brewed by the machine at your suitable time and your oven will automatically cook Turkey for Thanksgiving.

This idea can be adopted by governments for building smart cities on a larger scale and improve our general living.

9. Secure & Sophisticated Healthcare

Your personal health information and updates can be encoded and stored on Blockchain system using a private digital key. You can keep it accessible to specified individuals.

Similarly, healthcare research can be conducted securely and confidential data can be stored on Blockchain.

Apart from this, surgery receipts could also be stored on blockchain and sent automatically to insurers for further claim approval process.

Blockchain ledger can help with supervising drugs, regulation compliance, healthcare supplies and lab test results, enabling secure personal healthcare management.

10. Blockchain Government

Electronic voting system can be manipulated by clever hackers and raise the questions of integrity and security. Blockchain ledger can prevent this incident and act as a barrier to such vulnerabilities with its encrypting capability.

With blockchain embedded in the voting system, individuals could confirm that their votes were successfully transmitted and counted and can nothing is tempered with during the process.

Blockchain Government

The blockchain approach for electoral voting maintains anonymity of voters through encryption while also saving money for government.

The real-time example of blockchain election process is Liberal Alliance, a political party in Denmark, who was the first to implement blockchain for voting in 2014 – which was the one of the greatest triumph for the technology.

11. Energy Management

Energy marker is going through a tremendous shift when it comes to decentralizing the management and distribution of energy. In a traditional setting, energy producers and users rely on public grid to buy or sell energy.

To transform the centralized energy market, blockchain-powered microgrids can be leveraged to implement peer-to-peer solution for trading energy.

LO3 Energy has developed a system in association with Siemens that allows trading of solar energy locally in peer-to-peer fashion, with its first 50 physical units already tested in Brooklyn.

The project has smart meters for tracking energy production and consumption and smart contracts for transactions.

TransactiveGrid is another start-up in this industry that uses Ethereum to allow customers to trade energy with each other.

Conclusion

For blockchain to work and function as a powerful solution, it is essential that there is a solid agreement from node-to-node network to comply with ethical standards.

Currently, many of these blockchain applications are still in developing phase and will be applied to society and economy experimentally in next couple of years.

The bottom line is that Blockchain is growing fierce and ferocious in its ability to transform businesses, establish fair trading systems, decentralize store and democratize social and economic system.

Now is the age of “look-alike” apps that are aptly named Progressive Web Apps (PWA). A PWA is driven by modern web features, enabling business users to experience an app-like visibility and functionality. You have a choice to either deploy it as a Progressive Web Apps or a Native app so that your business can make the most of both the channels of interface.

These Progressive Web Apps can be deployed to servers which are indexed by search engines and are accessible via URLs. Not calling for any complex installation, these apps can handhold businesses in more ways than one.

Before we look into the advantages of PWAs, let us now delve deep into what makes these apps stand out from others which offer the regular web-based experiences.

Features of PWAs

  • The Concept of Progressiveness

Speaking of the word “progressive” that comes with these modern apps, this name makes it possible for every user to derive the best out of PWAs irrespective of the choice of browser.

It is though their core principle of progressive enhancement that make these apps a class above the rest. They can seamlessly fit into any device including mobiles, tablets or even a desktop.

  • Ease of Operation

Once you enter a website that can be used as a PWA, you will be asked to pin the PWA to your mobile phone screen.

This feature will help you retain the apps that you find are beneficial to you on the home screen of your mobile. This will not only save the app but will also allow you to start using it whenever you want.

  • The Offline Support

As with normal websites which run on internet connectivity at all times, this is not the case with PWAs. It uses cache memory that enable you stay connected via the offline mode.

This means that, all PWAs are independent of net connectivity, allowing you to either work offline or on slow-speed networks.

  • The Luxury of Staying Abreast With New Content

Another striking feature of PWAs is linked to their ability to work in the background. These apps, through push notifications help you stay abreast with the latest content.

This way, you can benefit through the app which will not only synch your data but will also send it to the user despite being inactive.

  • The Safety Feature

All these PWAs come with the HTPPS protocol. That means, these apps are safe, always securing your content from misuse or tampering.

After understanding the benefits of PWAs, now is the time to unveil the advantages of PWAs to businesses.

1. Ease of Implementation

If you are looking to understand everything that makes PWAs an attractive solution to businesses, the first amongst them is their ease of implementation.

All the PWAs come with JavaScript as the standard front-end language. PWAs hence do not call for any change in the scripting language. Simply apply the expertise of your in-house or outsourced JavaScript developers and you are all covered.

To sum it all, you can ensure a hassle-free implementation of your PWA without any additional resources, manpower or technologies.

2. Benefits to Users With Regard to Simplified Implementation of PWAs

After discussing the ease to implement a PWA from an operational perspective, let us now move on to the advantages your customers will enjoy.

PWAs do not need you to download and install them from either the App Store or Windows Store. On the other hand, as soon as you start using a PWA, you will be prompted to pin the app to your smartphone’s home screen.

Read also : How To Create an App For Your Small Business

Once this is done, you will be able to use it without any hassles through the PWA icon. This procedure not only enables your app to come live in a jiffy but will also spare you the review process that comes with either a Play Store or an App Store.

3. It’s All About Speed Loading

PWAs load faster even while working offline. Statistics state that about 53% of mobile users abandon a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load. This is a serious problem that can affect businesses and their bottom-line.

Through PWAs, you can safeguard your online business presence. Your customers can simply navigate to the site on either a Chrome or Safari browser and get going. Thus, PWAs come as awesome tools for marketers to promote their products and services to the world of shoppers and clients.

4. Revenue Conversions

PWAs guarantee a reliable and effective online mobile shopping or transactional experience. This assurance, which is not linked to location, time or network availability constraints will help you rake in rewards.

When your business starts addressing the needs of your target audience, you will be able to provide the luxury of mobility to the world at large with a commitment to offer smooth and quick responses. These responses come in the form of push notifications which will help your customers to get informed about reminders and marketing offers.

5. The Cross-Platform Functionality

As with regular websites, you will be able to make use of PWAs on multiple platforms. As you already know that iOS does not support important Application Program Interfaces (APIs), you have a solution coming in the form of Adobe PhoneGap or Apache Cordova.

It is through this software plug-in that you can empower your PWA to interact with different platforms alongside program a host of graphical user interface (GUI) components.

6. Experience the Supremacy of Google

Here is another huge advantage in favor of PWAs. The fact that these apps are backed by one of the largest global software companies named Google, you can surely imagine what’s in store for these apps.

Backed by a strong intent from Google to churn out many websites offering “app-like” experiences to end users, the time is ripe for PWAs to be tagged as the perfect companions to native mobile apps.

7. The Native Apps v/s PWAs

Native apps which are developed for a particular service or platform are best suited to engage brand loyalists. Allowing loyal customers to install your app, you can ensure that you gain visibility. On the flip side, Progressive Web Apps can be used to reach out to new users.

Once they start interacting with your PWA, there will come a time when they can eventually download your native app. That means, you don’t have to replace native apps with PWAs but can enable both of them to work hand-in-hand.

The fact that PWAs offer the same engaging and responsive feel matching a native app stands in favor of the “best of both the worlds” maxim. Your customers will not only find your PWA interactive and engaging but will also enjoy better mobile browsing experience.

8. Brand Visibility Enhanced Through Push Notifications

User-engagement is a promising feature for any online business to thrive. PWAs come with an in-built ability to send real-time alerts to your customers as part of your user-engagement strategy.

It is through push notifications that your business will stand to gain even when the app is not running. Through this mobile app feature, you will be able to attract the attention of users towards your brand.

9. Low on Data Usage

Another fine detail that makes PWAs a star attraction to businesses is linked to data usage. All thanks to the way in which PWAs are built, they do not call for high data usage once it is installed. Repeat visitors to the app can get away with decreased loads.

Closing Thoughts

Keeping in mind all the above-explained advantages of PWAs to your app development business, you will be poised to create a strong mobile presence in more ways than you can imagine.

The keywords are increased conversion, interaction rate and customer engagement along with decreased loading times and data usage. These are all the star attractions of PWAs that can be employed by businesses to scale new heights.

Planning to build a mobile presence for your company to reach a greater audience? Confused between choosing a mobile app development and mobile website development? Then, let me tell you something. For people who think there isn’t much difference between these two, actually, there’s a lot of difference. Here, we are talking about two connected and important different aspects of a company’s presence.

Today, in this post, we are not going to tell you which one is better. Instead, we will make you understand the huge difference between these two and the final decision will be yours as to which one you want for your business.

Before going further into this discussion, you should understand that these two elements serve slightly different purposes. Now, let’s get started.

What is the difference between a mobile app and mobile website?

Before you even start counting the advantages of one over the other, first let’s understand the important differences between a mobile app and mobile website. iOS and Android users (Includes smartphone and tablet users) can access both mobile apps and mobile websites.

Mobile websites are very much similar to normal websites which consist of browser-based HTML pages which are connected together and can be check with an internet connection. The basic and major difference between a normal website and a mobile website is that the latter one is developed especially for smartphone users. Increasingly, companies are now turning to responsive web designs as not only is a number of smartphone users greater than traditional desktop users but also they can scale to any sized device right from basic PC to all popular smartphones and tablets.

Just like any normal website, a mobile website too shows everything (Content, pictures, etc.) Users can also get to access certain mobile-specific features like click-to-call or even geographic based mappings.

Mobile apps, on the other side, are applications that are installed on our smartphones. Of course, there are apps which work on only online mode and offline mode such as games, image editing apps, etc. are built in such a way so that users do not have worry about having a good internet connection.

Which is better- A mobile app or mobile website?

Now the biggest question is that which is one is better. Honestly, that actually depends on your company/business goals. So you are the deciding factor here. Let’s say you are building a game then probably a mobile app would serve your purpose in a better way. But if your aim is to provide your users a smartphone-friendly content to a greater and broader audience then a mobile website would be the best option. However, in some scenarios, you may want to have both a mobile website and application but there are fewer people/companies who would want to develop an application without already having a mobile website for their business.

Nevertheless, if you have a specific goal which cannot be achieved through a website then you should consider building a mobile app first. Otherwise, a mobile website should serve your purpose of reaching to a greater audience.

Benefits of a Mobile Website vs Mobile App:

By the year 2019, India’s smartphones users number is predicted to reach 1.1 billion and China’s to 1.5 billion.

Benefits of a Mobile Website vs Mobile App:

If your goal is to increase customer base or even remotely close to public communication, then having a mobile website built first always makes sense in your mobile outreach approach. This is due to the fact that mobile website has more number of advantages/benefits over mobile apps. Let’s see how.

1) Compatibility

When compared to mobile applications, mobile websites are greatly compatible with almost all smart devices. No matter what kind of smartphone your customer is having, a mobile website just works fine on all smartphones.  Whereas a mobile app needs a different version (iOS and Android) to be built for each kind of device.

2) Upgradability

Without much effort and time, mobile websites can be seamlessly updated. They offer great flexibility when it comes to updating content. Whether it is color or design, all you need to do is just to click on the edit button and the changes are instantly updated. On the other hand, updating content in an application needs the updates pushed to the customers as well. And then should be installed so that the content can be updated for every type of device.

3) Reachability

More than mobile apps, mobile websites can deliver your get your message to a wider audience as they are accessible across platforms, search engines, and devices.

4) Shareability

Mobile websites can be shared easily. All users have to do is share the link within an email, SMS, or to even post on social media networking platforms. Businesses, with much ease, can direct their customers to a mobile website from a portal or even blog page. A mobile application cannot be shared in the same way.

5) Time and cost

Cost and time for developing a mobile website consume less as to a mobile app. Mobile websites, for sure, take less time and cost-effective than building an application and especially if you are trying to build a native mobile app.

Now, what about an app?

Despite the obvious advantages a mobile website has, applications are increasingly becoming companies’ choice and just like a mobile website, a mobile app has got its own benefits.

1. Gaming

For games, mobile apps engage and interact with users in the best way possible.

2. Frequent usage

If your targeted audiences use your mobile application on a frequent note then nothing does the job better than an app.

3. Works offline mode

If your app doesn’t need an internet connection to work or interact with your users then without any second thought you can go for it.

4. Native functionality 

Do you need to access your user’s camera, contacts, or anything related to their smartphone then an application will do a better job much more effectively.

At the end of the day, whether it is a mobile website or an app, everybody wants to get an optimal return on their investment. So the choice will be the one that costs less and gives you moderate ROI. Also, even if you are getting a mobile app done at a cheaper price, don’t make the most common mistake of making your app into the clone of your website. Your mobile app should solve a purpose. So choose features and functions that mirror the objective of your business.

Final thoughts

Of course, there is no doubt that the usage of a smartphone is only to increase, the common question “Mobile app vs. website” will remain as a question for companies who are seeking to build a mobile presence for their business. Nevertheless, if your business objective is marketing-driven or to deliver good content and build a wider mobile presence which can effortlessly maintain, and easily found on search engines then the mobile website would be the right solution for you.

On the other side, if your goal is to offer and enhance a better user experience which would be similar to a gaming app then a mobile application would be the logical choice. However, there is no such rule that says you can have either mobile app or mobile website.  So in the end, it’s all about requirements of your business and your users.

Just like the users anticipated in 2017, the iPhone X has indeed received a great attention for its new 3D sensing technology. On the other hand, the vendors of Android mobile phones is also likely to follow the same footsteps of Apple, intending to increase the demand for vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), an important element of 3D sensing technology. Hence, VCSEL manufacturers will start laying the basic foundation in this domain.

What is 3D Sensing Technology?

In the recent IT developments, 3D sensing technology is one of the biggest achievements. Various electronic devices are now aiming to integrate this technology to the upward trajectory in its demand.

When it comes to mobile phones, and just as expected, 3D sensing technology is bringing a major transformation with its features and functionalities.

One of the most common instances of 3D sensing would be how it will be integrated into mobile phones via gesture recognition into the user interface.

Now this kind of addition will definitely result in customers being able to run their devices via touch motion and facial recognition.

Even though 3D sensing is most commonly used in smartphones and tablets, this innovative technology has various applications which include robots and drones.

In addition to that, 3D sensing is also utilized to let users have better connectivity between the real world and the artificial intelligence.

How does 3D Sensing Work?

Understanding how 3D sensing works is not as simple as it sounds as it is one of the most greater scientific achievements and also complex which left various people left perplexed. Nevertheless, this can be better explained when the 3D sensing is used in the most common things around us.

For instance, Nintendo gaming is entirely based on 3D technology where the player would be able to enjoy action games via mere gesture without having to tap keys on devices. Wondering how that is possible? Infra red light is the reason behind that.

The process that makes it easier is when an infra red light passes through and ocular component which will spread the light into a pre-organised way which is similar to the idea of prism light divergence.

By interacting with the infra red light, that device will get the required data across the room by identifying the things off of which the light had reflected.

This 3D sensing will enable players to control the automated home entertainment system which has the 3D technology without having to use remote control.

What’s ahead for 3d Sensing Technology?

Regardless of whether 3D detecting is just an overnight sensation or conceivably a future standard element in cell phones may well rely upon Android telephones. Market responses and accessibility of 3D detecting modules will be basic components for Android telephones in choosing whether to receive such innovation.

At this stage, the creator trusts that it is still yet too soon to choose if facial acknowledgement would turn into a standard element. On the off chance that clients don’t give positive criticism, it is improbable that the Android camp would stick to this same pattern.

Rather, they could center around upgrading unique finger impression acknowledgement innovation, (for example, under-show arrangements) keeping in mind the end goal to increase first-mover advantage.

Also, the utilizations of 3D detecting module are not constrained to confront acknowledgment just, and numerous conceivable outcomes stay to be investigated with such innovation.

Thus, 3D detecting and unique finger impression acknowledgment are not fundamentally unrelated, which could be helpful to the long haul advancement of 3D detecting.

Apart from iPhone X, the number of Android devices and mobile app development brands which are offering such 3D technology a very limited currently.

Also, there still some stuff technique dost in the process of assembling 3D sensing modules and even Apple also to considerable amount of time in the assembling process.

Therefore, it will take another good 2 to 5 years for Android brands to start producing devices that are capable of providing touch motion and facial recognition.

From Apple to Samsung to Sony, every single electronic Goliath of the world is consolidating 3D technology to their devices and other smart products to give the most one of a kind customer experience.

A popular 3D imaging sensor producing organization plans to dispatch 3D sensors that can infiltrate through the dividers. This element could be a major leap forward for home security frameworks as families would have the capacity to screen diverse rooms of the home from even a remote place.

After experiencing the imaginative power of virtual world through mobile games, AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) are getting more organized to offer streamlines solutions to various industries. As these technologies break the surface of traditional approach towards the way we experience physical world in surroundings, the era of new realities begin. VR has grown more mature since its inception to produce more real sensations while AR continues to virtual objects to real world environment.

But the future is turning to Mixed Reality (MR) that enables the best of virtual and augmented world. Through the convincing entanglement of AR and VR in MR, you can play virtual games with characters that can interact with your real-world environment. However, due to the puzzling amount of technologies hitting you hard, it is important to discriminate these different reality-based technologies. Let’s delve into the subject to learn more.

Introducing different realities at a glance

1) Real-world environment

The real world environment is the one in which we all live and exist and is usually understood as the natural or physical world. Most of the things you experience in natural environment are either tangible or perceptible. The creations of virtual environment is often inspired by the representations of real physical world in a new, more comprehensive or amusing format that involves people, landscapes, civilizations, and other integral aspects.

2) Mixed Reality (MR)

Mixed reality is composed of technological spectrum of multiple realities enhanced by independent technologies like VR and AR. Mixed reality can be best explained as virtual spaces in which real world environment or people are actively integrated into virtual environment to produce a unique space of visuals where both physical and digital objects seems to interact seamlessly in teal time.

Unlike VR, MR provides you with much controlled, fascinating experience that blends real and digital elements so that you can manipulate and interact with real and virtual objects or environments using powerful imaging and sensing technology.

3) Virtual reality

Virtual reality can be enabled as computer generated graphics, video, music to create vivid experience in your senses. VR can be an umbrella term for all virtual reality experiences that are not completely real. Being the most known technology, Virtual Reality can offer immersive, intuitive and tricky experience that makes you believe you are actually exploring a completely different world from the one you live in. It has HMD (Head Mounted Display) or headset tethered to the PC or console.

VR delivers deep level of immersion, a total escape into strange, impossible world that engages and stimulate all of users’ senses in a way that makes them forget the actual reality in their vicinity.

4) Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality, as the phrase suggests, augments the intensity of reality by overlaying the ready digital graphics in real-world elements to produce the experience where users can enjoy some aspects of virtual world right into their physical world. The most suitable example that embodies AR technology would be the most renowned mobile game Pokémon GO. The main principle around which the concept of AR revolves is the idea of keeping the real world in the centre while enhancing its appearance through supplements of digital details and new perceptions.

The differences that separate MR from VR and AR

Although sometimes reality technologies seem to appear similar, the real-time applications and potential of MR separate it from other technology-enabled realities.

  • Mixed reality contains hybrid configurations

Mixed reality is hybrid of multiple realities that encompass various creative configurations of augmented reality, real environment and augmented virtuality. Mixed reality is where users simultaneously explore real and virtual environments, navigating it without telling which is real and which is imaginary.

  • Mixed reality offers more immersive interactions

Mixed reality makes it possible for you to immerse yourself in the physical world while interacting with a virtual environment. As a result, mixed reality users tend to forget where they are even though they constantly remain in actual world.

  • Mixed reality creates more balanced environment

By combining the aspects of both AR and VR, mixed reality enables users to enjoy the balanced environment where users can have one hand in the virtual reality and can have it in the digital path  and the other in the digital imagery, ultimately transforming the way you interact, work and play games.

  • Mixed reality is not entirely virtual

Unlike virtual reality that drives exclusively virtual experience, MR creates unparalleled space where virtual objects are properly harnessed to augment the real world elements to a convincing extent. Hence, what you get eventually is not entirely virtual or completely real, still making users believe the spurious nature of digital interactions.

  • Mixed reality offers more intuitive manipulations

Because you can play and try so many options with mixed reality, users can engage in more variations of similar objects and better chance of intuitive manipulations. For instance, you can see objects in its varied sizes as you change your perspectives and distance from it.

Finally, how MR stands out as a versatile reality?

It is easy to get perplexed about understanding the role of mixed realities among other types of realities especially when it is the cohesion of intermingled technologies. However, the way MR works adds clarity to how MR functions differently. In mixed reality, your physical environment is scanned to generate a 3D map-like structure of your surroundings.

Due to MR technology, device gets smart enough to understand what goes where, and how to place the digital contents in realistic backgrounds. Thus, MR allows users to interact with mixed, digitally-powered realities using human gestures without losing touch with their physical environment, eventually emerging as a versatile reality technology.

Conclusion:

After maturations and increasing adoptions of virtual and augmented realities, the border between real world environment and virtual space has blurred and faded away, developing the new innovation called Mixed Reality. By offering breathtaking experience to users, MR technology continues to create unique environment where user experiences resemble the visuals exhibited in sci-fi movies. Since they are accessible to everyone, many companies show sincere interest and invest in developing MR-based solutions. MR still needs more attention and awareness. We hope to see more in the area of mixed realities in future.

Parse which is an open source back-end service platform is also a part of the SDK, which enables developers to create all sorts of apps that run on Windows 8, Android, iOS etc. The company Parse.Inc was acquired by Facebook in 2013 and later in 2017, it was shut down along with all its running services.

The efficiency of Parse hosting server can be harnessed in 2 way: Parser server hosting, self-hosting. Out of this, the parse server hosting is preferred as it can host parse applications using the available migration alternatives. And using these services, developers can utilize the benefits of Parse & Parse server.

Here are the infographics that outline some of the reliable substitutes for parse which can be availed this year.

parse alternatives

Stephen Hawking(1942-2018), the most gifted and brilliant mind who travelled across time and space, a British Cosmologist and a great scientist known for his work on surviving and thriving with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis & black holes for over half a century.

Known for his contribution to the field of quantum gravity and cosmology, he was one of the most recognizable & smartest scientist of his age who symbolised on the capability of a human being to rise above any physical disability in life. With his research on completely understanding the universe, his name also entered to the world of apps with the release of a few amazing mobile apps that reveals his life, quotes and discoveries.

Now, lets check out the 4 amazing and cool apps based on Stephen Hawking’s work & life:

1) Stephen Hawking’s Pocket Universe

With the app, Stephen Hawking’s Pocket Universe the complete beauty of the universe is explained. With its simple design patterns, easy navigational steps and clearly formatted illustrations, this mobile app explains everything one needs to know about the entire universe.

The design of the app is a re-imagining of Stephens Hawking famous book- ‘A Brief History of Time’ which sold over 11 million copies in 40 languages. With the creation of this app, the book as taken a visual & instructional design which has made it more interactive with the audience.

The app which costs around $4.99 is a remarkable work with the 6 astonishing topics from Stephen Hawking books. This app available for iPhone on the App Store and now is also compatible with the iPad.

Features:

  • Easy navigation
  • Beautiful design
  • Complex science theories explained in well formatted illustrations
  • Users can keep a track record of their progress in learning and share articles in social media
  • Topic included: Professor Hawking’s greatest contributions to Physics, Space Time, Black Holes, Big Bang, Expanding Universe, Elementary Particles and Light and Waves, Updates from his major scientific breakthroughs, Historical and anecdotal references.

2) Stephen Hawking’s Snapshots of the Universe

Stephen Hawking’s Snapshots of the Universe is a mobile app that explains the scientific principles that control the universe through simple and fun graphical experiments. Based on Stephen Hawkings discoveries and writings, this app seems to be useful for both adults and children to learn the basic theories that govern life in earth and also get knowledge about planets and stars.

Features:

  • User can play and learn using the experiments given in the Snapshots of the universe.
  • Scientific experiment included are interactive
  • Consists of deeper text section to help users understand the key theories of science
  • Selected experiments also include video for better visualization
  • The app which showcases the teachings of this great scientist is available in iPad.

3) Pocket Hawking

This is an interesting and must have app for any fan of Stephen Hawking. The most brilliant and famous quotes said by this theoretical physicist and professor is showcased in this iPad mobile app. In this app you can listen to his views about life, destiny, space, universe, time travel and other related subjects.

Features:

  • Portray quotes that show Professor Hawkings intelligence and wit
  • Quotes are mainly educational based and can be even shared with friends, family and colleagues
  • Uses recordings made on a voice synthesizer which resembles to Hawkings sound
  • Compatible with iPhone, iPad

4) Stephen Hawking’s Biography

  • This biography-based mobile application is educational, motivational and takes you through a journey with the life of the world’s most renowned scientist Stephen Hawking. In this app, you can find descriptions regarding his life, accomplishments, major discoveries, selected quotes and other valuable contributions.

Features:

  • Simple and easy to read
  • Composed all the interesting facts in one application
  • Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
  • Clear design, easy to use interface
  • Easy navigation

Final Words:

With his break through research about universe and his personality, Stephen Hawking the man who changed the way we see the universe is and forever an inspiration to millions of global audience. His insights shaped modern technology and tried to bring clarity to some of the most important ideas related to space time, gravity and recently even raised the potential threat of AI in future to humanity.

The above given apps will definitely help you to take a journey to explore the life of Stephen Hawking, his works on the origin and structure of universe and even know about some of his famous quotes.

Artificial intelligence is being in the top trending list for quite sometime now. Good or bad, the fact is that AI is influencing us on a daily basis. A Stanford University’s study predicts that by the year 2030, we will see AI in almost every industry, from education and public safety to care homes.

While the future is so looking optimistic and hopeful for AI, the so far journey has also been quite impressive and commendable. The utilization of Artificial Intelligence is going beyond asking SIRI or Alexa to help find the nearest route to the office. There are some dedicated companies who are tirelessly working toward the central goal of Artificial Intelligence, cracking artificial general intelligence. On the other hand, mobile app development companies are also expressing great interest in building AI-powered apps.

What are AI apps capable of doing?

90 percent of the time, Artificial Intelligence is designed to perform so moderately complex activities. For example, AI apps can fix your meetings, answer to some common questions like where is the nearest restaurant or fastest route to home, notify you how long your metro train or flight is delayed for, etc. However, the usage of AI apps can go far, much far beyond this.

There are some robust AI apps that are capable of adjusting marketing campaigns and apps that can study and analyze consumer behavior. The point here I’m trying to make is that AI isn’t here to make any business’s tasks simpler instead, it is here to make the business itself better. The analysis and reviews of AI apps can be used differently to generate innovative solutions for business issues and improve the company’ growth.

Of course, IT companies are no less than when it comes to embracing new technologies and tools and AI is no unusual. One such company is Google. The company has been utilizing Artificial Intelligence through an algorithm, called as RankBrain, to filter all the Google Search results. When IT companies can utilize AI to achieve their business objectives then why can’t you use it to achieve yours? Yeah, you read it right. Don’t know any such AI apps that can help you at work? Don’t you worry.

Today, in this post, we will list the 5 trending Artificial Intelligence apps that completely transform your work style.

1. X.ai

What better way to start your day than having someone to schedule your meetings in the day? Introducing Amy and Andrew as AI personal assistants, x.ai is an Artificial Intelligence app that will automatically schedule your meetings. This personal assistant will kick off all that never-ending email exchange that uninvitedly comes with scheduling meetings. All users have to do is just link their calendars and CC Any or Andrew whenever there is going to be a meeting and they will do the rest of the work (Organizing the meeting at the convenient rendezvous for everyone.

If they wish to try first, users will be provided a free version of the AI app which allows the users to set up to five meetings every month. More than 5 you need? Then you will have to pay for the unlimited plan. There are team edition and enterprise edition available who love to manage as a team or the whole enterprise. In addition, the enterprise edition has some additional features and that includes a dashboard for admins which provides an overview of their scheduled meetings in that week.

2. MyKAI

An AI-powered banking bot for customers that will keep a track on your money spending activities. This app provides an easier way to watch where your money is going and exactly on what you are spending more on a monthly or weekly basis.

There are two major advantages of using MyKAI app. One is that it is completely free. And the second one is that users can seamlessly connect to their chatbot over popular messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger and Slack. Without any learning curve, MyKAI is pretty much self-explanatory. The more users interact with MyKAI, the more app will know and analyze your spending.

And to do that, users have to register on the MyKAI website and then link their bank accounts. The chatbot is congruent with more than 20,000 US banks and credit card companies. When the question comes to data security and eavesdropping, MyKAI is extremely safe and secure to use as the company that built this app, Kasisto, is backed by Wells Fargo and DBS. In addition, MyKAI doesn’t store any sort of personal or financial information and uses read-only data so there’s nothing for users to worry about.

3. Quill

Are you one of the people who spend all day reading and analyzing reports? Then you must surely try this app, Quill.  The app quickly analyzes your report and provides you the summary within no time. This way you not only save so much time at work but also become more productive.

Primarily built by students, for students, Quill is used by many companies as well. The automatic process of reading and analyzing the reports makes it so much easier to work with. You should definitely give it a try.

4. Time

Time app will let you keep on your toes all day. This AI-powered app utilizes statistics to help you not procrastinate your tasks and finish them before your deadlines. With an interactive and engaging to-do list interface, the app allows you to add new tasks and activities, hold, and even reorder, without any hassle.

As the user taps on one of the tasks, an automatic timer starts and the on-screen color changes from green to yellow to red till the user end the program/task. This way, users will be more dedicated to finish the task than procrastinating it.

5. Hello Hipmunk

Do you travel a lot? Do you always find yourself checking flights and hotels in cities where you travel? Then Hello Hipmunk will be your rescue app. An AI-powered travel planning app. This amazing virtual assistant will focus on two channels. One is where people generally talk about their travel plans ie., emails and the other is where they mark their dates ie., calendars.

Users can either send a separate email to the service or just CC hello@hipmunk.com when you are emailing your plan to someone. Once analyzing the information you provided such as dates, timings, etc. Hello Hipmunk will try to find you the best flights to travel and their offers for the chosen date.

What do you think of these AI mobile apps?

The above-mentioned AI mobile apps are already becoming the right and left arms of several companies across the globe. The utilization of Artificial Intelligence is no more limited to big companies. Various AI tools are emerging precisely to make technologies like these to all SMBs that wish to have a remarkable presence on the internet to enhance their audience base and grow their businesses and sustain in the market.

The consistent growth of Artificial Intelligence is certainly bringing new possibilities for both iOS and Android app development. Began with the Apple’s virtual assistant, Siri, a lot of AI mobile apps are taking birth, all thanks to mobile app development companies.

What if, instead of waiting for long, you get to book tickets, order your favourite food, do shopping, get your health tips, chat, call and do much more? That’s the covetable concept behind having a mobile apps. Mobile apps have the ability to merge the virtual world with technology and thus offer businesses the chance to increase and expand customer interaction with their products.

Nowadays the thought that mobile apps are only for big brands must change as even more small businesses are following this trend. This helps them interact with customers on day to day basis and its also a solution for business to take their marketing to the next level.

Having a mobile app can help you many ways like being visible to customers 24/7, create direct marketing channel, provide more value to users, build a better brand and recognition in the industry, improve user engagement, stand out from other competitors and even help you build customer Loyalty.

Either way, a mobile app would be an essential element of any business in the coming years. So make the right choice for your business to set the right base for the future.

Now take a look at the below given info graphic and get an overview on the different purposes of creating an app!

 

The Different Purposes of Creating an App

It is indeed a daunting task for parents to constantly keep a tab on what their kids are watching on their smart phones. The internet abuzz with loads of adult content can pose a serious damage to the developing psyches of kids. While most of the kids spend time texting their friends all day, some of them love watching videos. Childproofing is the need of the hour for all parents to ensure that their kids view content that is kid-friendly. In an attempt to enable children to view only child-friendly content on your smart phone, here are some hacks that will come handy.

1. Effective Management of Adult Content in Online Videos

It is a common sight to witness young kids toying with a smart phone to watch and enjoy online cartoon shows, rhymes and funny videos. If you are the parent of a child who is glued to YouTube most of the times, it pays to steer clear of online adult content that your child can accidentally come across. All thanks to the in-built feature of YouTube that you can now restrict your kids from browsing videos that call for adult supervision. This is an effective means to manage what your kids watch via YouTube videos.

2. Allow Your Kid to Watch Age-Appropriate YouTube Videos

Make the most of YouTube’s algorithm which can successfully block inappropriate content for kids. To enable this function, you need to tap the three dots that are present on the top right side of YouTube’s home page. Then you need to select Settings, followed by the General option. After making these selections, you will see the Enable Restricted Mode. Aptly named, selecting this option will allow you to heave a sigh of relief that your kid will not accidentally browse inappropriate online content.

3. How to Make Netflix As A Child-Friendly Entertainment Platform

Netflix has caught up as a popular video streaming platform for the young and old. Featuring a host of entertaining animation videos for young kids, Netflix is a chosen interface for all such videos which do not stream on YouTube. With Netflix, you have the luxury of creating a separate profile for kids. To activate this kid-friendly viewing option, you need to navigate to the main menu on Netflix by swiping from left to right. You will then find an arrow icon on the top. You need to tap this icon which will prompt you to add a children’s profile by checking the kids’ box. This is a safety mechanism in place to ensure that your smart phone does not become an instrument of inappropriate viewing.

4. Safer Web Browsing Strategies

It is not only for entertainment that your kids pick up your smart phone. Growing kids look up for online assistance to complete their academic projects and school assignments. Your kids might need your smart phone for all such academic purposes. They will start browsing the internet to extract information in the form of educational content and images that will help them with their homework. However, they can be unmindful of the plethora of malwares that plague the online territory. Your kid can click on a malware that can harm your smart phone.

You can enable the “safe browser” settings and activate them. Another way to safeguard your smart phone is to install an anti-virus software which enables browsing features.

5. How to Play Safe While Installing Gaming Apps

Notwithstanding the fact that you can find a host of gaming apps featured on Google Play Store or the iStore, but you need to exercise some caution while installing games. While some of the games are authentic, you should be wary of many fake and unwarranted apps that not only post online content but can also damage your smart phone. Since it is impossible for a kid to identify a fake game from a real one, you as parents should ensure that your kids are not exposed to such games which contain explicit content. If you have an Android phone, you can ensure that your phone is made child-friendly by restricting inappropriate content on Google Play.

All you need to do is to go to Settings, followed by an option called “Parental Controls”. You then need to enable this option. Upon enabling it, Google prompts you to key in a 4 digit pin number. This will work as an authentication code for your kids to install genuine gaming apps.

6. Mindful of Health Hazards Caused By Smartphones

Smartphones have already turned into an addiction not only with kids but also with adults as well. Along with causing an irreparable damage to the eyes, smart phones are also leading to back problems with frequent users. Headaches and migraines are following suit.

Another precautionary measure that can be taken to protect the eyesight of your kids who browse via smartphones is to install a Safety Screen app. This is an app that sends constant reminders about the ideal distance kids should maintain between them and the phone so as to stay safe. Once your kid comes very close to the phone, a distance that is damaging to his eyes, the app blocks a part of the screen with a warning. This warning disappears once the optimum distance between your kid and the smartphone is maintained.

7. Make the Most of the Kids’ Mode

You don’t need a pair of eyes to keep a close watch on what your kids are viewing on the net; through your smartphone. Parents can check out the Kids’ or Child Mode that is made available in a number of branded smartphones. Along with Windows Phones, Android Smartphones too have this child-friendly feature which needs to be activated. Once this mode is chosen, your kids will be able to view only those apps and games that are exclusively meant for kids.

The recent announcement from Facebook that it is all set to launch a child app specifically for kids to chat with family and friends is an innovative move. Once this comes up, parents will be comfortable with their kids staying in touch with their connections through safe means.

Key Takeaways

Tech savvy kids are attracted to various online games and videos that at times contain explicit content. While you as parents can fail to keep smartphones within the reach of your kids, there is one thing that is within your circle of influence. And that is about ensuring your smartphone displays only child-friendly content to your kids.

All the above mentioned tricks can work in your best interest. However, if you find your kids outdoing the tabs you have installed for them, it is best to keep an open channel of communication with them. Allow them to speak up their concerns as and when the necessity arises so that they don’t fall prey to a host of explicit and kid-unfriendly content that is posted on various online platforms.