Mobile Applications to rule post COVID-19 pandemic

Coronavirus 2019 is surely a sour pain for all of us. Little did we know that it would take an epidemic to change our lifestyle upside-down. People locked up, offices shut, roads empty, and socialising became a nightmare. These tough times have not only affected individuals but also the companies and government, as all countries in the world have had a major hit in their economy. It would not be wrong to say that in future, the world will never be the same as it used to be. Many businesses are likely to be shut if they do not evolve and adapt during the pandemic, and many new opportunities will emerge.

Who knew that the words like social-distancing and contact-less experience would disrupt our lifestyle and be a norm someday. Well, it is now, and we can not deny that. No matter what businesses you are in, you will have to adapt to this change, sooner the better. This is the time when you need to pay closer attention to consumer demands than ever and adapt accordingly. For instance: Zomato – an online food delivery app started delivering groceries as that is the need of the hour.

Talking about the mobile application, today, many governments are using this technology to track the movement of COVID-19 infection amongst the community. Thereby enabling them to take necessary actions in respective regions. Likewise, a mobile application that will solve the current problems faced by consumers will grow and evolve. Consumers are looking for contact-less experiences and the app development domain offers the same seamlessly. Therefore, mobile application development will strengthen the new norms and trends furthermore.

Mobile Applications to rule post COVID-19 pandemic

Let us take a closer look at the industries that can take advantage of mobile application development during this new normal:

Education Technology 

With no clear picture on when the schools and institutes are going to be open, the demand for online and digital learning will boom the sector of education technology. Children have already started learning online – from attending a virtual lecture to submitting their assignments. What was once started as a value add for kids to upskill has today become an integral part of learning. There are quite a few education apps available, and there is a lot more scope for the new ones to make their way and gain the maximum of the situation.

E-commerce 

Even if the malls and shopping complexes open, there is going to be a fear-factor in the consumer’s mind to physically go and shop. From safely packed food/goods to contact-less delivery, many e-commerce companies are following the new norm. A ‘contact-less’ or ‘zero-contact’ delivery limits the chances of contamination. Therefore, the e-commerce mobile applications are here to stay and rule the retail sector across the globe.

Teleworking 

Working from home is no more a taboo, organisations have seen an increase in productivity during this phase and it is defiantly going to be an accepted norm. This could be possible because of few teleworking applications as they help the teams to stay connected as they were during the regular days. From online meetings to sharing the tasks, teleworking mobile applications provide it with all for end-to-end communication with your teams.

Health and Fitness 

The pandemic has taught us the importance of a healthy lifestyle more than anything else. People now are more focused to enhance their physical and mental well-being. Hence, many consumers are now investing a lot more time on their health and giving it utmost importance. Mobile applications that provide a holistic health solution for mind, body, and soul is well accepted by the consumers. In a nutshell, it cost us a pandemic to understand how important our health is. This is one of the foremost reasons for the growth of mobile applications in the health and fitness industry.

App Payments 

No cash, no cards. They can be contaminated! Consumers along businesses have become very mindful about the contact-less experience and are motivated to pay using mobile applications. Once marketed for its convenient, fast, and effortless transactions, mobile app payments today advocate safety and health factors. So much said and done about the digital transactions, it has only been possible by a pandemic to make people understand that it is ‘safe’ and ‘reliable’.

OTT

Being home locked all day, people are exploring more and more options for entertainment as they have all the time in the world. Televisions are airing old and dated content, whereas OTT platforms are bringing new-age content from their stocked library. Despite watching some dated series, audiences are more interested in consuming new and fresh content each day. Seeing the growing demand for OTT platforms, many film producers are now considering to release their movies online at OTT mobile applications. For some time consumers will avoid visiting theatres and multiplexes. Therefore, this will further spurt the OTT industry.

In the days to come consumers will choose interactive mediums and applications that are safe, reliable, and disruptive. From eduction to payments, the pandemic is truly making India digital. Should you be planning to develop a disruptive mobile application in conjunction with the latest trends, then contact us at [email protected] or  +91- 9863077000.

 

6 Benefits of Coding with React Native

What is React Native?

React Native is an open source framework that is used for writing real and natively rendering mobile applications that are compatible with both Android and iOS. React Native is based on React, which is Facebook’s Javascript library used for building user interfaces.

Here, “native” means that web developers can now write mobile applications that look and feel like native apps all from the comfort of a Javascript library that we’re already aware of. React Native makes it easier for developers to develop for both Android and iOS at the same time.

React Native applications are written using JSX which is a mixture of Javascript and XML-esque markup, similar to React for the web. It is a reliable choice for the developers who are familiar with Javascript as there will be no need to learn Android specific Java or iOS’s Swift.

Benefits of coding in React Native

How React Native can increase developer productivity

React Native helps in making apps that are smoother since its main focus stays on UI. Due to its compatibility with different platforms, giant companies like Facebook, Instagram, Skype, Airbnb, Walmart, Tesla, Uber Eats and many more are now using React Native.

The increasing popularity of React Native is motivating more and more developers to use it. There are various ways in which it has helped in increasing the productivity of developers.

Some benefits of coding in React Native are mentioned below:

1. Code Sharing

This is one of the most important reasons why developers are choosing React Native. It is a cross-platform mobile app development tool which lets you share most of your code for producing other apps for different platforms. This means that you can produce multiple apps with the same codebase.

Code sharing helps in saving developers’ time as now they don’t have to code separately for different operating systems. Therefore, you can develop two apps in half of the time estimated.

 

2. Frameworks

A framework is basically a real or conceptual structure that helps you in simplifying complex problems by serving as a support or guide for building something that expands the structure into something useful. As compared to a protocol, a framework is easier to comprehend and also frameworks are more prescriptive as compared to a structure. Some computer system frameworks can also include actual programs.

React Native is a framework that helps in speeding up your development work by saving time and making it easier for developers. It gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of choosing any code writer that suits your demands.

 

3. Components

React Native provides you with a number of built-in components. So, instead of writing codes from scratch again, you can reuse codes by using components. When you use components, you’re basically reusing codes written by other programmers.

For example, there is a component in React Native called ‘View’. The view is an area where you display all your content. View lets you arrange your content in a very good manner. It helps you when you need a nested element. Also, when you need to wrap your content inside a container and use different styles for different elements, this component is of great help.

Other than View, there are plenty of other components that can be used like Navigation, Text, Image, Text Input, ScrollView, StyleSheet etc.

 

4. Hot Reloading

We all know that recompilation takes up a lot of time. React Native gives you the choice of instantly reloading your app without having to recompile.

Compiling an entire code requires a considerable amount of time; whenever a developer makes a change in the code, he has to recompile the code to see how the modification looks in the app (how it has changed or improved). In a nutshell, a developer has to compile a code more than a thousand times depending upon the size of the project.

Now with React Native, the hot reloading feature lets you instantly view how your app looks after a code modification without wasting your time in recompilation. Since this is a time-saving feature, it helps greatly in boosting the productivity of developers.

 

5. Flexible and easily understandable codes 

With React Native, codes can be reused. A single update will work for both the platforms. It makes it easier for developers to detect bugs between codebases. Also, since its interface is modular and intuitive, developers who weren’t previously involved in a project can easily understand the code and use it as a basis for future developments. 

In turn, it increases the flexibility of a team and it is easier to make updates and upgrades to web applications. A team can get work done by developers that are suited best for specific developments. This saves time and also decreases the risk factor of data loss. React Native allows you to transform a web project into a mobile decision within no time.

 

6. Graphics Processing Unit

The React Native architecture uses the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) instead of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) which is used by most native platforms. This makes React Native well tuned to mobile environments. Also, it helps in giving extremely fast performance compared to other hybrid technologies.

 

Final Words

In conclusion, React Native provides a better learning cycle to the developers and develop mobile apps in a shorter time duration with better efficiency. A developer who has the experience in web development can expand the same skills to create mobile apps as well. The possibilities are infinite if you choose to think that way.

With the immense opportunities for expanding a business, it also helps the clients gain more customers or browsers. With React Native, mobile app development has become cost-efficient because of the reusability, and code sharing features.

Clients with a limited budget quotient can get the apps developed for both the platforms (iOS and Android) as front-end developers with a working knowledge of Javascript can easily create react mobile apps at affordable prices.

React Native is widely preferred for mobile app development and developers don’t have to compromise with the quality of apps for multiple platforms as well. Furthermore, React Native offers safety, portability, and longevity which enhances developers’ efficiency and decreases workload and wastage of time.

For more resources on React, read the top five reasons to choose React JS for development.

A Look At The Fake iOS Apps Nuisance

Although the iOS platform has achieved unsurpassed popularity in the tech arena, fake app issues have maligned its environment to a great extent. These apps are creating havoc in the iOS arena thus disrupting the environment to a great extent. With enterprise certificate registrations and matching IDs as their authentic and original counterparts, these apps grabbed a huge portion of market share.

Maligned and fake versions of popular apps such as Pokemon Go, Facebook, and several other gaming applications are the most common examples of this fake-app nuisance. Devices operating on iOS 9.3.5 are still getting affected by this fake iOS apps issue. On that note, it’s high time to take a look at the details.

How did it begin?

Fake iOS apps might have created a furore in the tech world. However, this isn’t the first time these issues are showing up. Possibilities of such incidents showed up way back in 2014 when a deadly technique known as ‘Masque Attack’ ensured successful replacement of original apps with fake, maligned, and poor versions. These apps never got identified easily, as they shared similar Bundle Identifier or Bundle ID with the original versions.

A look at the fake iOS apps nuisance

After learning about the incident, Apple decided to shut down processes and deal with vulnerabilities. However, such efforts didn’t help as 3rd party app stores started exploiting an exclusive feature in Apple’s code-signing process.

Delving into the nuances

Hackers and scammers have the greatest opportunity to make some quick bucks. All they need to do is create a maligned version with similar Bundle ID and that will be enough. Banking on the fame and popularity of the original version, fake-app creators can lure users into downloading these fake versions.

Controlling and monitoring app data is also important, as it might reveal crucial information about the user. Scammers can gain access to personal and identifiable data through the legitimate app. It goes without saying that users and consumers always stay at high risks of losing data and resources.

The grave consequences

By gaining access to such confidential data and information, crooks can have direct access to bank accounts. Especially, online buyers will be the sufferers as most of them make direct payments from the site.

Scammers will also have the opportunity to change and modify the function of a particular application. Although the situation is undoubtedly alarming and dangerous, precautionary measures can solve the problems to a great extent.

What to do?

Those incorporating and implementing in-app purchase functions must abide by Apple’s regulations. Validation of App-store receipts along with employ mechanisms are the two most crucial aspects in this context. App developers, designers, and creators should put their best efforts thus preventing hackers from reverse-engineering the original application.

Companies and businesses working on BYOD systems should tighten enterprise app security. Business owners should emphasize on the security of business applications if they are using the iOS platform.

Concluding note

Since the entire business and tech world depends on apps, fake-app issues will wreck havoc on their functions and operations. Let’s hope the counter-attacks on these counterfeit versions are successful.

iPad Apps that Boost Productivity at the Workplace

As the world of smart devices continue to unfold and reveal layers of astonishing benefits, businessmen and executives are turning to maximize their use of these devices to boost workplace productivity. Apple too has integrated these devices with hardware and software that makes it a highly capable tool to assist both work and living. However, it needs to be supported by special apps that meet unique requirements of the business class mass. Here are 5 iPad apps that businessmen across the globe are using every day on their iPads to improve productivity.

iPad productivity apps

1.       OfficeTime

Perfect for freelancers and self-employed professionals, OfficeTime will help keep track of the time you have put in professional responsibilities and generate an invoice for the same. A time management solution, this has been helping professionals who bill clients by the hours they put into the project weekly or monthly. You can even use this app to allocate time slots to different projects every day. Keeping track of your time will not just be a professional requirement but also reason your earnings.

2.       Pixelmator

Everyone loves to take good photos. Even if you aren’t a serious photographer, you can use Pixelmator to makes your snaps say a story. The app comes integrated with dozens of beautiful templates, frames, typography and other features to add to the images you click. Further, you can even combine images, add text, shapes and use several image editing tools that were limited to Photoshop. For the business user, this can be a valuable part of presentations.

3.       Evernote

This app lets you take notes on the go, Evernote has been around in the iOS marketplace for a long time now. A fully-featured solution, the app makes it easier to enter text and will even capture information by taking images with your device camera. In fact, several other productivity apps integrate with Evernote to save content. All the documents gets automatically synced with attached devices and it is being used by professionals globally to create meeting agendas, organize invoices (after taking a picture), and even prepare travel itineraries.

4.       Goodreader

Office work isn’t complete without going through some documents every day. It would be great if you can take your documents to mobile and read them at your own convenience. This is exactly what the Goodreader aims to offer. Popular as the best PDF Reader available for iPads, Goodreader even allows you to edit and use full markup capabilities. Users can even use this app to attach comments to specific lines/paragraphs of documents, add text/pictures, rearrange text, extract and conveniently email the same on the go.

5.       OneNote

Developed by Microsoft, OneNote is one the best iPad apps ever developed and allows users to create notes on the go. Whatever industry you may belong to, ideas always keep running in and you need to take every opportunity to jot them down for later. OneNote doesn’t just allow you to take notes on the go but also sync the same with your computer and other attached devices. You can even do all kinds of text formatting including bold, highlighting, underlining, indenting and change font colors.

Lesser known features of iOS9

Lesser known features of iOS9

Apple announced the grand and brand new iOS9 at the Worldwide Developers Conference on 8th of June at San Francisco. As we have experienced earlier, Apple has always dropped support for older version whenever a new OS version launch is made. This time however, iOS8 users will be able to upgrade to iOS9 at zero cost. The public beta version (also a first for Apple) will launch in July but Apple is already ecstatic about the fall launch and consequently, we would like to know about the new iOS9 experience. Here are some of the lesser known features that users can expect.

1.       Search feature in settings

For someone not quite conversant with the hardware and software features of their phone, a search setting has been long denied under the settings tab. With iOS9, if you know what to change/modify, you can directly access the same from the search bar.

2.       Siri speaks and listens everything

Siri allowed users to communicate with their devices in several dialects and multiple accents. However, until iOS 8, choosing to listen to British Siri also meant that the phone was tuned to understand only British voice commands. IOS9 changes that and language input and voice will be two separate functionalities. You may talk in an Indian accent and receive response in a Brit tone.

3.       Siri doesn’t work with a silent ringer

If you want Siri to shut down when you have silenced your device, iOS9 adds an option. Especially in a crowded area, Siri can now communicate using text messages.

4.       Low power mode

Smartphones consume a lot of battery. However iOS9 has an answer in the form of Low Power Mode where the device will turn off background effects, animated wallpapers, disable app refresh to give you extra hours of usage.

5.       No more “Is my Shift key on?”

This had been bothering all Apple users since long. However, iOS9 introduces optional lower case keys that doesn’t require Shift key anymore.

6.       Keyboard shortcuts

If you had been using an external keyboard with your iPad, you’ll soon be able to do more. Apple introduces several new keyboard shortcuts. A good example would be the Command + Tab to switch between active apps.

7.       Introducing an iCloud Drive app

A long awaited feature, iCloud will now be available as a physical app. After you have installed iOS9, just go to the iCloud Settings and enable the option.

8.       Easier to move out from Android

Apple introduces “Move to iOS” app for users who are planning to switch from their Android devices to iPhones. The app expedites the data transfer to a great extent and also does a clean job.

9.       Six digit pass code

As opposed to a four digit pass code until iOS 8, iOS9 will ask for a 6 digit alternative to enhance the security.

10.   Have your devices organized for separate functionalities

Many Apple users have complained about receiving phone calls on their iPad rather than their iPhone. Similarly, text messages on the Mac are irritating. Thankfully, iOS9 introduces granular control that will help you manage your devices and their preferred functionalities.

Develop mobile app first on iOS or Android?

Develop mobile app first on iOS or Android

If you are building an app, it’s a common question whether to build for Android or iOS first. Building for both platforms simultaneously can get expensive. Further, developing for a single platform to start with gives you the advantages of testing, iterations, feedback and improvements. Experienced app developers would choose to act upon the second platform only when they succeed in the first and experience enough monetization.

So it is Android or iOS?

According to Gartner’s reports, Android dominates the smart phone market with a share of 82%. However, iOS brings in the advantage of monetization, bringing in five times greater returns with in-app purchases. Further, Apple has a better distribution mechanism than Google’s Play Store. Android App Store on the other hand benefits from a simple and uniform user experience. Comparing the different advantages and the nature of your target market is the key to success. Here are some factors to consider:

  1. Developers: Like most businesses, if you are outsourcing your app development to an IT specialist, it is important to know which platform they are more comfortable in or specialize. It would be profitable to play to your strengths. If your internal team and the contractors are more conversant with Android developer, so be it, and vice versa.
  2. User base: It is very important to understand the nature of your demographics. If you are looking to target businessmen and professionals iOS would be a better choice than if you are trying to target the regular smart phone user or students. Whichever platform gives you the maximum engagement should be the one you work in.
  3. Pricing: It’s no secret that an iOS user is more likely to pay for in-app purchase than an Android user. Apple does have a larger base for paid apps. Though Android too presents several ways of monetization, Apple users would be more willing. The choice will also depend upon your exact pricing. Through Android, you can easily target lower pricing ranges.

When to choose iOS

If you are targeting the U.S. marketplace, Apple has a significant amount of dominance over Android. Apple devices are extremely popular in states like Los Angeles, New York City of Washington DC. Thus, if your target is American audience, iOS is the safe bet. IOS will be able to generate four times higher revenues compared to Android.

When to choose Android

Businesses that are looking to enter the market and don’t have a substantial capital to start off with, Android is the perfect solution. Android app development is based on open source software, making it cheaper. Further, Android provides several frameworks and plugins that makes it easier to develop and deploy an app. Also, the Play Store has less restriction on the quality of app submission than iOS App Store.

Regardless of the platform you choose, interactivity, user friendliness, and quality will be the key to the success of your app. It is when you bring something unique to the market that you get noticed. Otherwise, there are millions of other iOS and Android apps to get lost in!

iOS App Approval Process

iOS app approval process

Apple is well known for the exacting standards of quality that they have made an integral part of their work ethic. This standard of quality is clearly discernible from the classy elegance and finesse of Apple products and the kind of immersive user experience that they routinely provide millions of people.

These same stringent standards are also a part of their approval process for apps to be features on the Apple App Store. Many iOS developers remain wary of their apps being rejected while under review by Apple, owing to the fact that the Apple App Store remains a realm where it is difficult and painstaking for developers to enter and be recognized.

If you are an iOS developer, you can do your work without the anxiety if you develop a deep understanding of the iOS app approval process, and design your apps with the process in mind from the ground up. Having this understanding helps you to see the challenges, be in tune with the standard requirements, and create apps which easily pass the test with Apple.

Getting Apps for iOS Approved the Right Way

Since its inception, the Apple App Store has had a strict approval process in place to control the quality of the apps that they make available to their users. Here is a brief step-by-step outline of the approval process –

  1. Submission – As a developer, you need to first read and understand the app review guidelines that Apple has in place. Keeping them in mind from the start is a more efficient way of doing things than developing first and making tweaks later. When your app is complete, debugged and performing the way you want it to, it is time to submit it to the Apple App Store for review. During submission, you need to furnish all the information that Apple requires in an accurate manner.
  2. Guidelines – Apple has compiled a detailed and exhaustive list of guidelines for developers. Once you submit your app, it is time for them to review it based on those guidelines. The guidelines involve all possible aspects and factors relating to mobile apps, including metadata, notifications, data storage, API use, content, design and user interface, transactions, privacy issues, legal implications and more. Apple reviews your app based on the totality of this list of criteria, and when the approval process is through, informs you about their decision.
  3. Communication – Apple provides you with detailed review data throughout their review duration. If your app is rejected or close to rejection, they provide you with a list of factors and reasons which you can use to correct your mistakes and resubmit your app for further review. The key is to communicate transparently with Apple regarding your development project, to pay heed to their feedback and suggestions, and to fine-tune your app so that it meets the stringent guidelines Apple have set to maintain their standards. Once you are through with this process, your app gets released for public use and you get featured as an iOS developer on the Apple App Store.

Hope this interesting read will help you in your iOS app approval process in the near future. All the best!

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