Category: Mobile

Twitter’s Tale of the Month – Introducing Group Direct Message and Mobile Video

June 1, 2015

Among Twitter’s numerous updates, the one that caught our attention is its recent launch of Group Direct Messages (DM) and Mobile Video to share more content, photos, videos, links, tweets and emoji. Twitter, now enables users to send direct messages to a group of up to 20 followers unlike before. Users do not need to follow one another to participate. What is so different with Group Direct Message? Group Direct Messages do not appear in the public timeline. The direct message has up to 20 participants. However, additional users can also be added to the conversation at any time and by any member of the group. It gives users the option for how and with whom they can communicate. Merchants can use group messaging via desktop as well as mobile devices. Online retailers can discuss their business activities in a private setting with a selected group of individuals. Group messaging can collaborate privately with other members of your business, social media team or workplace. How to create a Group Direct Message? You can start your direct messaging session by clicking on the ‘Messages’ tab. Once you click on the ‘New Message’ icon on the top of your screen or the speech bubble icon on your mobile, you can search for the names of the people you’d like to add. When users are added to a group message, they’ll get a notification informing them that they’re a part of a group direct message. In the address box, enter the name(s) or the @username(s) to whom you want to send a message. Now, click ‘next’, type the message and click on ‘send message’. When you’re initiating a group direct message to share a tweet or discuss something, you can begin chatting directly from your timeline on the web. Now select ‘Share via Direct Message’ after clicking the icon on the three dots at the bottom of any tweet. How Merchants can Utilize DM? Merchants follow four different ways to use Group DM. They can use group messaging to showcase new product and receive feedback or leap ideas off a select group of customers. By giving your loyal followers a glimpse of your upcoming services, you can receive valuable feedback. This is an excellent way to build strong relationships with the customers. Group DM can engage users with Hashtag chats without disrupting the public timeline. This is a popular form of Twitter engagement. For encouraging retweet, merchants can select a loyal group of Twitter-connected customers and share public tweets through Group DM. With Group DM, a long conversation can be continued without interrupting the public timeline. With Group DM, merchants can communicate with their followers more easily and swiftly. Group DM is a great way to help your followers find what exactly they’re looking for. Sharing messages with brand advocates can become more efficient if they’re done as a part of a group message. If you do not provide the product or service that they’re looking for, you can always refer them to the relevant service providers and in a way, engage them in 3-way conversation. What’s Next? Besides, Twitter has also introduced a video capture feature for the iOS and Android apps. It allows users to capture, edit and share videos up to 30 seconds directly from within the mobile app. They appear as thumbnails within your timeline that play when tapped on. Twitter video involves three stages: 1. Capture: You can hold down the record button to capture video content, if your message contains videos. 2. Edit: You can delete clips and rearrange others by utilizing a drag-n-drop process. You can hold the thumbnail image of the clip and drag it onto the main screen, if you have to remove the clip. A trash can icon will appear. 3. Share: Once the recording and editing of the video is done, it appears as an image in the posting area & is ready for sharing with the followers. How Does It Benefits the Online Merchants? You can always ask your audience to share their videos using your products or request for video testimonials. This helps you to measure your product performance. If a customer is unaware of how to use your products, the recorded demonstration need not take more than a minute to explain in details. This is a great way to share product knowledge without having to make the customers get annoyed. It is easier to influence the potential customers with a quick 30 second video portfolio that they can view without leaving Twitter. Group messages and videos offer new opportunities to host competitions & other offerings. The ability to converse, maintain confidentiality and show a quick video give online merchants more options for how & with whom they can communicate on Twitter and spread their brand name.

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Will Net Neutrality Receive its Due Justice?

May 25, 2015

Now your experience of watching videos online could soon become a hit or flop experience….you might experience either a flawless and smooth network or it could be extremely frustrating with interrupted services; and the reason behind this uncertainty has nothing to do with technology but with money making policy. It is to check how much a company is willing to pay to provide content faster onto internet connections. New Regulation against Net Neutrality Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voiced their concern against Net Neutrality as whether all content need to be treated equally or not. They emphasized on ‘paid prioritization’. They are trying to create a two-tier internet system – two virtual lanes; one fast and one slow internet. Now, this is something which is not fair enough! Recently, many internet service providers including Time Warner Cable, Verizon or AT&T strike deals with YouTube, Facebook and other web content firms for priority internet access to consumers. This means a content providing company can pay to an internet service provider company like Verizon or AT&T to have its traffic on the fast lane for better user experience. Similarly, many such other companies will follow the same rule. In a way, the internet service providers make more money and the costs for content providers shoot up. Now, the question lies how would the content companies recover these costs? They are left with no choices but to charge their customers more. The net result is that you and I will have to pay more for everything on the internet. Nonetheless, the start-up businesses will have a tough time to compete in the market. In fact, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) planned to block apps and websites to extract more money from businesses and consumers. It supported extreme violation of Net Neutrality. Airtel and Internet.org are two entities that were a threat to Net Neutrality. Both of them were offering plans that involved using websites and apps free of cost. Apparently, they looked like good plans; however, the real cleverness lies in their strategy to charge more money from you for data packages. The Ongoing Debate However, the FCC’s and TRAI’s attempts to execute enforceable and sustainable rules to prioritize internet access to its users have been twice struck down by the court. The debate is still persisting as what’s good for corporations vs. what’s good for citizens of the nations? Net Neutrality is not only a fight between the big tech companies but its existence will highly affect the future of how billions of people access the internet. The Cause behind Net Neutrality Network Neutrality or Net Neutrality is the concept of treating all traffic equally, regardless of what data is being sent – it could be VOIP calls, emails, web searches or streaming videos. Internet Service Providers cannot block traffic to certain sites, in order to allow higher traffic to some other sites to get through. Any individual who have access to the internet needs to be able to find what they need online without any kind of hindrances. Net Neutrality advocates that internet is too important to the economy and democracy. It is a critical tool to conduct commerce, communicate, educate, innovate and engage in the world around. Supporters of Net Neutrality Supporters believe that consumers are already paying for connectivity and they certainly deserve to get a quality experience. Violating the core rule governing the internet will be a ruinous way of delivering justice. They say ISPs… Need not be allowed to accept money from companies to make internet service run faster for subscribers Need not strangle user’s bandwidth, if they reach a fixed data cap Need not block competing websites from subscribers Need not exempt companies from data cap for paying more money The Open Internet Order The order is in support of transparency when it comes to broadband providers’ responsibilities. They need to be sincere when it comes to management practices, performance reviews and terms & conditions of the services. Also, they cannot discriminate transmitting lawful internet traffic to websites. Absence of Net Neutrality and Its Impact on the World of Commerce If companies providing internet service makes it difficult to get access to internet, numerous commerce platforms would have a negative impact on hundreds and thousands of SMEs that rely on them as a means to reach their existing customers & prospects across the world. Net Neutrality reduces the barriers of entry for entrepreneurs, by ensuring that the web is a fair field to work on. It is only because of Net Neutrality that entrepreneurs have been able to thrive on internet. The internet needs to be open to foster job growth, innovation and competition; and without Net Neutrality, ISPs would seize every possible opportunity to earn profit. Letter to FCC (Source: Bussiness2Community) Major tech companies including Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Amazon and more asked FCC to encourage Net Neutrality. The letter says, “Instead of permitting individualized bargaining and discrimination, the Commission’s rule should protect users and Internet companies…against blocking, discrimination and paid prioritization….” What’s Next? With opponents challenging the new rules in the court and some Republicans in Congress upholding open-internet legislation that would supplant the new regulation against Net Neutrality, the Federal Communications Commission finally approved the policy of Net Neutrality by a 3-2 vote. They ensured that no corporate or governmental body should rule free open access to the internet. In fact, Mark Zuckerberg says he is no enemy of Net Neutrality. On the other hand, over 10 million emails have already been sent to TRAI to prevent Net Neutrality in India from being manipulated. It has also received around 7-8 lakh comments on its discussion paper to preserve the Internet’s free and open character in India.

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The Designing Ingredients to Build Mobile E-Commerce

The Designing Ingredients to Build Mobile E-Commerce

March 30, 2015

Approximately 7 out of 10 consumers prefer to use mobile website over mobile application. There has been a splurge in the number of mobile shoppers in the last three years. With a number of avenues of online shopping including laptop/PC, mobile and tablets; it is interesting to find that maximum sale conversions in a local purchase occur via mobile. Marketers must explore new ways of marketing their products through mobile. Using mobile coupons, promo code and offering discounts will attract more users to visit your website through mobile. It will reduce load on your servers and minimize your server capacity and server maintenance cost. Clearly, marketers can’t ignore mobile e-commerce if they want to succeed in e-retailing. You must have a mobile e-commerce website to cater to mobile shoppers. The design ingredients of a mobile are different from that of a laptop. You have to make sure that consumers have a smooth experience on your mobile website starting from loading a page, searching a product and placing an order. This article will highlight the crucial elements to build a mobile e-commerce website. 1. Is your search box clearly visible? Usability factor has a major role to play in mobile. Consumers expect a much simpler interface for mobile unlike desktops. Mobile is so handy and convenient to use on-the-go that consumers don’t even need to give entire attention towards mobile while shopping. Most often, mobile shoppers are indulged in multi-tasking. Whether they are travelling, reading a book, working in the office or chatting with their friends, mobile shopping can transpire simultaneously. In such a scenario, you can’t expect your customer to locate the search box hidden in a cluttered page. Use a magnified search box so that they don’t have to magnify the mobile page every time they visit it. It is a big turn off. Furthermore, search box should be present on every mobile page to allow the visitors to enter a search query from whichever page they land. 2. Let your happy customers engulf social media space Majority of the consumers today are active on Facebook, Twitter etc 24×7. They get real-time updates and notifications about anything happening on their social media profile. There is nothing better than a satisfied customer talking about his mobile shopping experience on their social media profile. After they complete their transaction, you can always request them to share their experience on their Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest etc. Ask them to like and follow on different social media websites. Don’t leave any opportunity unused to expand your social media presence. Consumers love to listen and follow first-hand experience as it testifies your authenticity and mobile-friendly approach by your company. It says that you care about mobile shoppers. If their friends are satisfied with your mobile shopping experience, they will definitely give it a check. To hear about good shopping experience is convincing and generates a lot of traffic to your mobile store. Though conversion may not happen on first visit, you have opened a line of communication and exposed yourself. 3. Mobile is synonymous to speed Consumers have always been impatient when it comes to page loading. Mobile shoppers are even more impatient. Their primary reason for shifting to mobile shopping is that it is convenient, fast and accessible on-the-go. Speed becomes the deciding factor here. Getting your PC shoppers to mobile is not going to work for you, if your mobile page takes a long time to load. It is even disastrous if the page closes automatically during navigation due to a large size. Customers could be in the middle of a transaction. So, you have to be careful what you are promising. The response time of a mobile webpage has to be quick. Don’t clutter your page with a huge number of search results. Spread your results across pages. Remove unnecessary elements that reduce the speed. Also, remember to add a filter criterion. Due to space constraint, mobile users are stickler about what they see when they enter a search query. Limited information will help you to maintain desired response time. 4. Is your webpage responsive? Mobile today is available on different operating platforms including Blackberry, Windows OS, iOS, Android etc. Is it designed to operate on all the leading platforms? Can your page adapt to different screen sizes, screen resolution and visual quality? Test your mobile page on all the frameworks before you release it. Customers are scattered across all platforms. You don’t want to lose any Android user. Do you? A responsive design arranges the text in a fashion that viewing is comfortable irrespective of the amount of text on the page. Customers don’t have to scroll from left to right and right to left to read the text. It should be the first thing that comes into your mind while designing a mobile webpage. 5. Finger-friendly design It is touch screen everywhere. Smartphone users are used to using their fingers for tapping, browsing and performing other functions on mobile. Make sure ergonomics is taken into account. There is no mouse in case of mobiles. So, the fingers should be able to operate the page smoothly. All the links on the mobile webpage should be easily clicked through the finger. Fat fingers should be easily able to access the links. Understand the difference between tapping and clicking. The experience of using your mobile webpage should be at least equivalent to that of desktop. Additional tools like drop down and auto-fill should be incorporated into design so that users don’t have to type too much for searching a product. 6. Incorporate instant customer service support into design Consider your mobile customers as standalone. Consider that they have no laptop or desktop. Mobile is their only source to access your website. In such a case, you have to make sure that customers get instant customer support during their stay on your page. Use a clickable phone number or request for a phone call. Use live chat and instant feedback reply to answer

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Mobile Devices – The Greatest Influencer of Search Marketing

March 18, 2015

Time is not so far when mobile apps would be the dominant computing tools for users across the world. Google predicts that mobile searches which are currently at 85.9 billion will soon exceed desktop searches by the end of 2015. In fact, 81 percent of conversion starts from mobile searches with 2 billion Smartphone users expected to grow globally by the end of 2015. Organic search trends are drastically changing with the rapid use of Smart devices and their varied applications. What role does mobile search play in consumers’ life? Consumers’ searches are ever-changing. However, the basic that they want are: Simple navigation Appropriate call-to-action buttons Easy access to products and information The facility to communicate in real time They’re always in search of new apps that can identify their exact wants. They want the apps to present them with the right set of functionalities and options at the right time. In a nutshell, consumers demand proactive and relevant information and services from their smart devices. And mobiles help to accomplish their goals. -Mobile search With the increasing number of mobiles and its varied apps, life is easy. Right from streamlining grocery lists, payment of bills, online shopping, maintaining calendars, making travel plans or collaborating with co-workers, consumers associate mobile devices with productivity. They consider apps as convenient, faster and very easy to browse. The optimized design, functionality and ease of use have leaded to an enormous growth of mobile user satisfaction and engagement. Accordingly to Google, 85 percent of users prefer mobile, especially mobile apps, for search. -Local search Local search on mobile devices creates moment of interest connecting the local business and the searchers looking for their preferred products and services. Interestingly, it has been found that local searchers on mobile devices ultimately make a purchase. Local search opens new opportunities for businesses and creates greater visibility for the potential customers. The primary motives behind mobile search The reasons behind exhaustive use of smart devices can be listed under the following categories: The ‘ME’ time – Seeking relaxation through entertainment Self-expression – Participating in interests and hobbies Discovery – Seeking news and information Shopping – Seeking new products and services Preparation – Planning for forthcoming activities Socializing – Interacting with others What actually drives device market performance? The ease of use, the user interface, countless apps and the quality of design win consumers’ heart and mind within a wink of an eye. More and more companies are launching advance mobile devices and apps across the globe. Practically, they’re with us everywhere and every time as and when we need them. Users are more reliant on mobile apps for needs discovery and exhaustive search. According to Statista report, worldwide mobile app download which is currently 179.628 billion in 2015 is expected to reach 268.692 billion by 2017. The majority of the customers actually spend 89 percent of their time in apps and 11% browsing the web. However, mobile search strategy involves creating unique mobile keywords approach. Mobile searchers use different keywords when they’re on their mobile devices. Moreover, there are three important limitations that marketers need to keep in mind: Searchers search on small screens Searchers have different needs Searchers do not have keyboards Based on these observations, marketers should use analytics at disposal and think like consumers to find out what search terms mobile users use to find specific products and services. Digital consumption is going mobile Mobile device is fast becoming the preferred medium for searching content, reading them and sharing it with others. Searchers spend more time accessing social media from mobile devices. Almost 8% of the total activities of mobile users include searching and sharing content. The majority of the consumers are more likely to click and share content on social media networks through their smart devices compared to the desktop users. The following social media mobile statistics show its importance in today’s world… 71% uses social media from mobile devices 76% of Twitter users access from mobile 1.1 billion Facebook users use social media on mobile The advancement of mobile technology Besides the equipped mobile phones, all mobile devices with internet access and video viewing capabilities have aided the promotion of search marketing. These allow businesses to promote with multimedia including audio, video, and images, which are effective in grabbing customers’ attention. With the app-based QR Codes, location-based SMS or mobile search ads, mobile technology is the biggest drive behind the low cost of mobile advertising industry. People are so infused with mobile technology that if any company is not taking the supreme advantages of mobile marketing, they’re surely way behind the competition. As already predicted in 2013, the mobile marketing will generate $400 billion sales in 2015. Industries across the entire world are eventually realizing the significance of mobile search marketing for their business.

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A Big Career Boost in the Booming Mobile Industry

January 14, 2015

‘Life without mobile phone’ – who could think of it? People are woken up by cell phones every day. 2 hours and 36 minutes is the average time that mobile users spend each day using mobile internet. It is not just food, clothes and shelter anymore, mobile phone has become an indispensable part for most of us. Today, it has graduated to become a necessity. For instance, India ranks third for Smartphone users, with an estimate of 117 million subscribers, immediately after China and U.S. The growth of Smartphone subscribers in India, in 2014, stands to 45%, which is the fastest among the top 30 Smartphone markets in the world. With the core value that says “WE LOVE TECHNOLOGY”, Indus Net Technologies, with its dynamic environment, is continuously creating enormous opportunities to challenge yourself and work with the best mobile technologies. Be it the development of GPS system, Smart TV, ATM system, development of mobile app, mobile app testing or mobile website development, such opportunities help you to develop specialized expertise, tailor your career and grow professionally. It is the Right Time! If you are planning to pursue your career in the mobile industry, IT IS THE RIGHT TIME. Looking at the following statistics will certainly clarify all your doubts… What Do They Do on Mobile Phones? Percentage of users Activities in mobile phones 203% Involves in messaging and social activities 149% Involves in utilities and productivity work 115% Involves in app usage 76% Involves in media, music and entertainment 77% Involves in lifestyle and shopping 66% Involves in games 49% Involves in sports, health and fitness 31% Involves in news and magazines (Source: Dotcominfoway.com) The 10 Most Interesting Facts The total number of Smartphone subscribers is growing at over 20% with the fastest growth in China, India, Brazil and Indonesia. 30% of the world’s mobile users live in China (963 million) and India (844 million) The average Smartphone users in the country have 17 apps. The number is very close to the global average of 25 Android is the most popular operating system in the world covering 75% of the market share followed by iOS and Windows phone OS. There are more than 1 million Android apps published in Google Play Store and more than 50 billion downloads of only Android apps Android is an open source service with the most user-friendly interface and functions. It has the capability to boost hardware performance Shipments of Apple iPhones into India crossed one million units between October, 2013 – September, 2014 Windows phone is the second largest operating system in India. Microsoft is even targeting $50 billion handset market globally Windows phone is in second position with 5.4 percent of market share of shipments. There are approximately 7.5 percent users present in India Microsoft even offered free windows phone OS to the Indian players in 2014 The total number of internet users is growing at 10 percent year-on-year. The fastest growing market is in India, Indonesia and Nigeria. The global mobile traffic accounts for one-fourth of the total internet traffic (Source: Various) It’s no surprise! Mobile games are also becoming popular The extreme connectivity and portability capabilities of smart devices are encouraging gamers to play anywhere and anytime, thereby, freeing them from the physical limitation of the desktop computers. Mobile games are accessible, inexpensive, innovative and an impressive source of revenue for developers, who will continue to create mobile games as long as the consumers demand it. With Android gaining on iOS, Windows getting a foothold on tablets and smart phones, mobile game market share is changing around the world. Juniper says, the mobile game market is about to hit $9 billion in 2016 and mobile will be the “primary hardware” for gaming. Gaming industry gives you enormous opportunities to put all your imaginative ideas together and create games that are unique & always in demand. Why should YOU be a part of the mobile industry? The Android and iPhones are making the latest wave in the world of communication. Their innovative applications and advanced functionalities are getting popular & highly in demand Mobile industry is continuously coming up with new apps, gadgets, games and other technologies before the users are done with the old ones There is no end to your learning opportunities. You tend to learn and discover new  mobile technologies every day With so much to learn and implement, there is no place for saturation in this sector Age is not a barrier when it comes to using mobile phones. There are ample scopes to make innovations for every age group The future is becoming mobile and all services & offerings are going to run through applications. A big career boost Mobile is fast becoming one of the biggest platforms for: Programmers Mobile application developers Mobile architects  Mobile application designers Mobile application testers Surprisingly, there is a huge demand for skilled app developers and designers not just in India but all over the world. Indus Net Technologies is one such business house that encourages you to explore every new way of creating super performance in your work. From the innovation of newspaper app, kitchen app, travel and tourism app to numerous chat applications, Indus Net has successfully worked with several projects & delivered value to clients and society at large. So, what are you waiting for? As you see, you have EVERY REASON to build your career in the mobile sector.

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Your Golden Career in Gaming Industry

The Growing Opportunities to Build a Golden Career in Gaming Industry

December 9, 2014

Have you ever thought of making JAKE run in the street of Kolkata and a cop running after it? Or how good are you at making people wide awake till 3 am to cross level 83 in their Candy Crush Saga? Well, you can only imagine this if you are a born game developer and a gamer? Indus Net Technologies aims at putting all your hard work and imagination culminate into something that people will enjoy. The company helps unveiling your creative ideas in gaming and gain an extra edge to stay ahead of your competitors. Statistics highlighting the growth of gaming industry in India The Indian gaming industry, which was USD 171.66 million in 2010, is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 32.1% through 2015 ( source – FICCI-KPMG) Analysis says that console gaming will have the largest market share of 62% while mobile gaming will account to 23% by 2019 Ken Research report shows India’s video game industry will grow at a considerable CAGR rate exceeding INR 180 billion by 2018. This shows the magnificent career growth opportunities in this sector. India, being a very competent nation, is equipped with all the technological expertise and has an edge over others in terms of talent engaged in online game development. The focus is solely on leveraging cost-competitiveness. The country has already offered a significant cost advantage in animation and game development compared to any other outsourcing destinations. Games developed in India are internationally recognized, and therefore, are enhancing India’s image as a nation with the best technical & infrastructural capabilities to provide gaming services that easily meet international standard. Not ONE but MULTIPLE career options Developing a game entails coming up with new concepts, programming, scripting and animation, designing characters & testing. It is not only creative and fun-filled, but also offers attractive global employment prospects. Tons of careers are available as a – Concept Artist Designer Developer Technical Instructor Content Developer Sound Engineer Voice Artist Tester Marketer. INT, in no way, is behind the competition; it works on world’s number one gaming engine – Unity 3D According to Unite 2013, Unite 2014, and in another Unity Conference- by 2018 all iOS, Windows, Android or Blackberry developers will soon be merged as Unity developers. They will work on a single platform – Unity 3D Gaming Engine.  Its cross-platform technology enables delivering games to 14 different platforms with a single click.  The platforms include: Web Player PC Mac Linux iOS Android Blackberry Flash Player Google Native Client Xbox360 PS3 Wii Windows Store App Windows Phone 8 xbox One PS4 Gaming business – the ever-growing exciting industry With new games and technologies rolling in everyday, working in gaming industry will have you on your toes. INT, with its 3+ years of experiences in the gaming sector, gives you countless opportunities to club all your ingenious ideas together to create something unique and extraordinary. How? Learn the gaming trends and create interactive games for all age groups Enough liberty to incorporate ideas to make your games addictive Inspire curiosity, exploration, irresistible challenges and game rewards through your games Work on 2D and 3D technology Work on the world’s largest gaming engine – Unity 3D No stringent rules to follow With the growing penetration of internet, adoption of Smart devices and bigger screen sizes, gaming industry is booming. There is no place for saturation. For instance, take a look at the growing percentage of Android gamers in India by categories: Arcade & Action – 67% Casual – 50% Brain & Puzzle – 12% Cards & Casinos – 17% Sports Games – 14% (Source: Flurry Analytics, 60,000 device sample, January, 2014.) The basic skill sets required for game development Professionals who have a unique combination of technological knowledge and creativity & focus on innovative thinking can easily achieve perfection in their work. The motivation to create the finest and versatile online game & the ability to adapt to changes and meet strict deadlines are some of the fundamental skills looked for in this industry. Developing games and creating animated characters demand meticulous observation skills along with the zeal to achieve what is desired. The gaming industry has been changing at a rapid rate. The gaming diffusion across all ages as well as the competitive pressure has been significantly changing the entire gaming market. So, are you ready to take the plunge and explore your potentials as a game developer?

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Android Studio – The New IDE for Android App Development

Android Studio – The New IDE for Android App Development

October 6, 2014

Android Studio was announced last May by Google’s Product Manager, Ellie Powers and since then, it has grown to be a popular integrated development environment (IDE) for developers. The studio is specifically designed to accommodate Android development and can be downloaded on either Mac or Windows. Android Studio addresses a number of issues that developers have been facing. Not only that, it has emerged to be the most popular IDE for those who are into development. With features such as developer console, template-based wizards and a rich layout editor, Android Studio has quickly become popular among developers. How to learn more about Android Studio? Many developers have often looked for resources that would help them to develop apps without a hitch. Online resources are always great but there is always the need for that special guide which becomes a sort of go-to-resource for budding app developers. Belen Cruz Zapata’s Android Studio Application Development is a great guide which helps developers to create visually appealing apps using the new Android Studio. To be specific, this guide helps developers to use the new IntelliJ IDE Android Studio to create great applications that come with attractive interfaces. In this article, let us take a look at how Android Studio will help developers to start building great Android apps. What does an Android Studio do? The purpose of Android Studio has been to make sure that developers have access to a centralized and open-source kit to work with and create applications. From the outset, Android has competed with iOS in terms of interface, design and functionality. iOS has a more centralized development environment and Android has lacked that cohesion, until now. The latest Android Studio makes sure that developers can now enjoy centralization that was previously only associated with iOS developers. All said and done, the new Android Studio is a great tool which helps developers to create and build Android applications without having to work too hard or too much. It helps developers to work fast without wasting time and increases productivity as well. By making sure how to use the Android Studio, one can ensure that the resulting applications are up to the mark. Now that more companies and clients have begun to see applications as part of the content mix, app development will only increase in its importance. Thus, it is crucial to learn more about how to use the Android Studio and how best to create applications that are visually appealing. In order to understand what Android Studio is all about and how it can help you, you might want to go step by step. Installing and configuring Android Studio You must first learn how to install your Android Studio and configure it, according to your needs. You will first need to prepare for the installation and then download the Android Studio. After downloading, you need to install it without having to worry about things going wrong. Finally, you need to run the Android Studio for the first time to see if it is working well. The next step is to configure your Android SDK to meet your professional demands. Starting a project The moment you install and configure your Android Studio, you are ready to start a new project. You need to know how to create a new project and create a custom launcher icon as well. The next step is to learn how to choose your type of activity. Navigating a project The next step is to learn how to navigate through a project. It is simply not enough to start a project and assume things will go according to the plans. You need to know how to navigate through a certain project. This includes understanding the project navigation panel within the Android Studio and also the project structure and settings. Using the code editor After you learn how to navigate through a project, you will need to know how to use the code editor. This helps you to understand the settings and engage in code generation and completion. All along, you will need to understand what navigating codes you must use and which actions shall be useful to you. Creating user interfaces A user interface that is clean and clutter-free helps you to create better Android applications. With that in mind, you need to understand the concept behind graphical editors, text-based editors and how best you can create a layout that will ultimately help you. The next step is to understand how to add components and how you can support multiple screens. By learning how to change the UI theme, you will be able to better create applications that are visually appealing. Finally, you must also learn how to handle events. Google Play Services Android Studio is inextricably linked to Google Play Services. You need to understand how Google Play Services work and what services are actually available. The next step is to add Google Play Services to your Android Studio. You need to understand how Google Maps Android API v2 works and how Google+ Platform for Android works. Finally, you need to understand the concepts behind Google Play In-app Billing v3 and Google Cloud Messaging. All these concepts help you to create an application that is well prepared for the audience today. Tools Once you learn how to use Google Play Services, you need to learn how to use the tools as well. This includes learning how to handle the software development kit manager and the Android Virtual Device Manager. Next, you need to understand the concept behind generating Javadoc, which is a prominent technique that is applied while creating applications. Finally, you need to learn how to use the version control system. Debugging After getting familiarized with the tools, you need to understand how to debug issues. This includes understanding running and debugging, LogCat and DDMS. Under DDMS, you need to know the concepts behind threads, method profiling, heap, allocation tracker, system information, emulator control, network statistics and file exporter. Preparing for release Once

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Apple Launches iOS 8

Apple Launches iOS 8: How Does It Impact Existing iOS App Compatibility?

September 15, 2014

At IndusNet, we are committed to helping you remain updated with the latest technology and to be your technology delivery partner. On that note, we specifically aim to breakdown some of the changes within iOS 8 that will affect your app and cause compatibility issues. As Apple does every year, the Cupertino-based company has launched iOS 8 for all its mobile devices above iPhone 4S and iPad 2 (including both the devices) & on the newly announced Apple Watch. The new operating system will also be available on the iPod touch 5th generation. The new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens respectively, adding to the plethora of sizes and resolutions available on iOS devices. Isn’t iOS 8 supposed to auto-scale to every screen size? Of course, the iOS features auto-scaling, which means, all applications will supposedly work just fine on larger screens. Only, this is not completely true. If you have an iOS application and are wondering how the new iOS 8 will affect your application, read on. iOS 8 cannot change the User-Interface and User-Experience to make use of the bigger screen sizes and resolutions. Moreover, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus come with newer features such as horizontal viewing, dense content adjustments among others, which need to be incorporated specifically. If you already have an iOS application, it is very important for you to release updates for your users so that they have the best UI/UX. At IndusNet, we are committed to helping you optimize your iOS apps, no matter which Apple device your users use. iOS 8 has tons of features on which you can capitalize Before you decide whether you need to make drastic changes to your application or just minimal alterations, it would be prudent to take a look at some of the new features of iOS 8. These new features can be used to enhance the UI/UX on your app, so that you can use them for your business. Of course, not all of these features are applicable to every business but some of them may be. Do take a look at all the new features and if you think one or many of these features could be used within your application, contact us for customizing and updating your app to iOS 8. Custom Actions – Apple now lets its users to assign actions with just the touch of a button. One can print documents, assign a photo to a caller or do just about anything they probably would wish to do.From an app developer-point of view, this would mean one could possibly make it easy for users to add watermarks, add something to a calendar or a wish-list or even engage in translations easily. It all depends on what your specific business requirements are and certain changes can be made with the help of Custom Actions. Extensive sharing – Earlier, one could only share with Facebook and Twitter. In fact, Twitter was the first social site to be integrated within iOS. Facebook came later on. Now, Apple has thrown open its sharing-options doors to every developer. This translates to you being able to decide if your users get to share something over your app, while using another. Customizable predictive keyboards – Apple is already touting its new keyboard as the smartest ever. The newly integrated Quicktype keyboard is similar to SwiftKey and Swype in some ways, but a lot different and even more effective in other ways. The word suggestions now depend on whom you are texting.This means, predictive texting will now be able to choose slangs when texting to a friend and more flowery words when writing to your editor. Or perhaps, it can suggest formal words when writing to clients. Moreover, the predictive keyboards can be customized easily, which means, you can create new keyboards so that they can be used system-wide. Later on, a preferred layout or input method can be chosen as well. Integrated recording – Recoding has never been easy on iOS. Not anymore. iOS 8 makes recording more integrated and if you have an application that requires this feature, it can easily be integrated. Handoff – The new Handoff feature allows users to pick up from where they left while using different devices. If you started to type an email on the iPhone, you can choose to do it on the iPad at a later time, without having to reopen windows or type again. AirDrop – Apple has enabled its AirDrop facility to run between devices running iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 Yosemite. Those who own both iOS and Mac devices will find this feature very useful. If your app or your business can gain from users sharing files between their own devices, this is a feature you could probably make use of. Instant hotspot – Setting up personal Wi-Fi hotspots was always cumbersome on iOS devices. One had to go to the settings and then search around in order to turn on the personal hotspot. Not anymore. Instant Hotspot allows users to access the Internet on computers or iPads without having to fiddle with the settings. Interactive notifications – More items can be viewed in the Notifications Centre. Whether adding widgets that let users know about package deliveries or reading the latest news headlines, widgets can be used creatively by developers. It all depends on how you want to integrate widgets within your app, so that users can use them on their iOS devices. Inter-app communications – As mentioned earlier, Apple has thrown its sharing-doors open to developers. This means, inter-app communication became a lot easier. No matter which application you want your app to communicate with, our iOS developers can help you achieve your goals. Widgets – Widgets have long been the privilege of Android users. Many iOS users often didn’t like the widgets or so went the assumption. However, it is becoming increasingly important to use the widget facility. iOS 8 allows developers to create widgets within

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How to Improve Mobile App Security

June 13, 2014

As mobile app developers, we know that there are a few applications that may pose security risks to users. If you have a mobile app of your own and would like to make sure that it gets rave reviews, you need to probably look at the security aspect of your app before looking at anything else. Importance of mobile app security is manifold A good application is, firstly, secure and safe. It need not pose privacy and data security related problems. Users need to feel safe and secure when they use it. Hundreds of thousands of apps are in the marketplaces and it is not inconceivable to think that many of these apps are faulty, when it comes to security protocols. If you have not given a thought about the security functions of your applications, it is time that you do. Mobile app security makes you popular It is often said that people abandon applications when they realize that a particular app is not so secure. Even if you update the software, many people who have jumped the ship might not return. It is always better to take the precautions before something serious happens. With that in mind, we need to discuss ways to ensure app security in this article. Some of the most important steps to ensure app security are as follows: • Do not abandon manual testing While it is always a good idea to automate everything, it is sometimes necessary to run a manual testing alongside. This ensures that computers do not overlook certain obvious threats that a human can observe. While automatic verifications can be done regularly, manual verification can be done once in a while so that we know that there is nothing wrong with the app’s security. Manual testing can be taken up by an outsourcing partner who will be better able to help you with reducing costs associated with all things manual. • Use threat modeling We live in a world that is increasingly complex. While technology has advanced a lot, there is a lot of stuff that we still need to understand and learn. Mobile devices have added another level of challenge to app developers as threats increase with every new platform. Earlier, we only had to deal with computer generated threats. Now, we must bear in mind that mobile devices can be equal partners in security threats. By using threat modeling, one can discover potential threats before they occur. Thus, it is important to use threat modeling alongside architecture and design reviews. • Use mobile security standards Just like IT governance, one also needs to write a sort of mobile policy. Along with that, it is important to come up with mobile security standards so that guidelines and standards are agreed upon. For different platforms, you will need to have different mobile security standards. While Apple’s iOS is slightly more secure, Android remains quite insecure when it comes to threats. Ask your developer to make sure that mobile security standards are written and used. It is important to have certain guidelines in place and also to follow them diligently. • Invest in mobile app security Sometimes, it requires a little money to buy security. Invest in software programs, devices and talent to ensure that your app security is taken care of. If you are not able to invest in mobile app security, outsource your mobile app security tasks to an agency, which specializes in handling third party tasks. This ensures that you do not spend valuable resources on ensuring app security, when specialists can take care of it for you. A little money invested for the purpose of security can not only save your mobile application but also your business in the long term. As we move towards a more mobile world, data and security related threats will increase even more. It is very important to invest time and money in security so that threats are handled swiftly, even before they can cause damage. While it is not possible to ensure that there won’t be any threats at all, it is always possible to be on guard and take all the necessary precautions so that we are not in a position where we need to be sorry.

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Infrafix: A Powerful and Next-generation Solution to Infrastructure Management & e-Governance

May 14, 2014

Sonia was driving along a highway when she suddenly lost control over the wheels and veered along the road, only to stop at a ditch. Thankfully, she was not hurt and managed to call for help. An hour before she drove along that stretch, Cynthia had noticed a gaping pothole and avoided driving over it because daylight still bathed that remote stretch of highway. If Cynthia had access to an app that could inform the authorities as soon as she saw a pothole, servicemen nearby could probably have placed a board or cordoned a part of that road in the nick of time, avoiding the risky loss of control that Sonia had to face. There are already a number of apps, which rely on crowd-sourcing to help authorities/enterprises that manage infrastructure using location based information. One such crowd-sourcing solution is Infrafix. This crowd-sourcing app for geo-located infrastructure and management can be a boon not only to end-users but primarily to Governments & enterprises that need to undertake real-time management of geo-located information and assets. This mobile application is currently available for Android devices and will soon be available on iOS & Windows devices as well. How does one use Infrafix? Infrafix can be used on both tablets and mobile phones, in both offline & online mode. A user who has installed Infrafix needs to collect data real-time such as taking pictures or filling up custom designed forms in order to let concerned authorities know where the infrastructure is damaged or malfunctioning. The app comes with in-built social sharing abilities so that issues can be resolved on a prioritized basis. The mobile app can be used in conjunction with the web portal app Infrafix (http://demo.infrafix.co.in/) so that field crews and servicemen can share & receive information wherever they are. Supervisors, managers and co-workers can receive real-time data about broken-down infrastructure so that timely action can be taken, avoiding situations in which Susan found herself in the example cited above. Infrafix is an effective and powerful solution for managing infrastructure breakdowns real-time, helping both enterprises & Governments to engage in effective and positive governance. Infrafix and social governance Infrafix can be discussed in the context of social governance. Social governance refers to the process of using social media to engage citizens, collect information and also carry out government-related activities. For instance, when ministries use Twitter to inform citizens about new legislations, it is a form of social governance. When a police department alerts citizens about a burglar on the prowl, it is again a form of social governance. If a resident of a community tweets that he or she is not able to reach the hospital and requests for emergency services to be sent through government/community channels, it is again a form of social governance. With that in mind, when people or employees send real-time data, in the form of pictures or forms or text messages to relevant authorities about infrastructural issues that need attention, it is again a form of social governance; and a very important form of it too. Infrafix can, thus, be described as a crowd-sourcing application that enhances social governance by bringing relevant and concerned authorities’ attention to broken down infrastructure. It does not matter what sort of infrastructure we are talking about. Whether it is a road that needs to be repaired, a bad traffic jam that is not able to clear itself, a rainwater drain that is overflowing or a building that looks like it is about to crumble down, all these and more can be addressed when real people in real-time identify issues & inform authorities (both Governments and enterprises) through geo-location enabled applications such as Infrafix. Infrafix comes with a number of features that make it a viable social governance tool. Some of the most important features are: • Web and mobile app: It works on both mobile devices and the web. Users can report issues whether they are on the location or take pictures (if they are unable to connect to the Internet) and upload it on the web interface, when they have access to the internet. • Geo-tagging: Accurate location and geo-tagging helps concerned authorities to identify where the issue is being reported from & immediately rush to the spot. If that pile of garbage is raising a stink, waste management departments can immediately rush to the spot and clear it, as soon as an Infrafix user reports it. The app comes with rich GIS symbology and visualization, which helps in identifying the source of the issue. • Account admin & workflow mechanism: Data is revealed conveniently on maps and graphs so that issues can easily be fixed. Offsite workers can access in-built databases wherever they are. • Crowd-source with social sharing: Nothing is more important than getting people to report problems to concerned authorities themselves, instead of relying solely upon field workers. Crowd-sourcing helps concerned authorities to reach out to infrastructural issues as and when they happen, leading to better reputation & e-governance. • Online and offline data capture: You could take pictures real-time and attribute information that can easily be entered. Data attributes can easily be viewed and edited from within the app as well. • One-click map and data sharing: Users can collaborate real-time and access maps. • Reporting and analytics: Data can easily be entered into layers within a map so that issues can easily be analyzed, moderated, shared and published; that leads to immediate alerts, thanks to that through which the issues can be addressed. As response time is reduced, enterprises or Governments, which are entrusted with duties, can fix issues on time. Who is likely to benefit from Infrafix? Whoever deals with on-field issues will benefit from Infrafix. To that effect, even real estate and construction companies can benefit from Infrafix. If your job or duties require you to engage in identifying, reporting and resolving on-field issues in real-time, then Infrafix is probably the app of choice. Thanks to its collaborative and minimalist approach, it is easy

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