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Thursday, May 23, 2013

App tips and tricks for developers in 2013

Anton Faulconbridge of RantMedia writes:

2013 promises to be an exciting year for the app industry. With the number of smartphone users almost on par with laptop, desktop and tablet users, this is a crucial time for app developers to bring fresh and innovative material to the table.

Whilst many industries are drying out, the smartphone technology sector continues to flourish and a wave of app developers who sit up and take notice of new trends are likely to do well compared with slapdash competitors. Let’s take a look at some savvy tips and tricks to stay ahead of the game in 2013.

1. Flat design matters

You know those skeuomorphic designs which try to replicate real life as much as possible?  Yeahh. Don’t do that. If you’re wondering what the heck skeuomorphic stands for, it’s basically a design interface which aims to look exactly like real-life counterparts. For example, the notes app on the iPhone is designed to replicate a real note book and comes complete with a lined paper and a border design.

These old fuddy duddy designs are slowly being driven out by a new wave of ‘flat design’ interfaces which are minimalist, functional and altogether more sophisticated.

2. Take advantage of push notifications & location

One trick mobile app developers don’t want to miss is integration of location services and push notifications. Of course, GPS and push notifications are old news in their tradigital sense, but used in new ways can provide a more targeted service.

Push notifications which alert the user without the app being opened are a great tool for pushing your app, one example being social media notifications such as retweets, new followers and likes.

When you have a high number of apps on your smartphone device it’s easy to forget they are there. Location services are useful in this way, for example if a user lives in Cardiff and is signed up to a deals website, they could receive push notifications about deals in the area.

3. Buttons are old news

Whilst we may never tire of that 2005 Chemical Brothers album, Push the Button, we’re eight years on and it’s time to revolutionise the way we use buttons, at least in an app sense.

There are many ways to enhance the user experience and move away from usual button methods, multi-touch functions such as swipe and pinch will give your app an edge. The main challenge for an app developer is to incorporate new techniques without taking away from the user experience.

4. Quality takes time

Getting your app to the top of the app store list is no easy feat, it’s a saturated market out there. Producing high quality apps is one sure fire way to stand out from the crowd and get noticed. Although there are costs and extra time involved in producing high quality apps, this increases your potential of being popular with users and the chance of a worthwhile ROI.

Anton Faulconbridge is the director of RantMedia, an app development agency in Cardiff. Anton divides his time between training up app developers in Cardiff and sharing advice with the World Wide Web!
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Opinion Articles

Ericsson will 'muddle through' as income falls

Mark Bridge writes:

I spend much of my time writing about telecommunications and technology. I spend a fair amount of time dealing with big technology-related companies. Yet although I understand many aspects of telecoms, I certainly wouldn’t want to run one of those businesses. It’s a question of relevant experience.

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Apps World 2012: something for everyone... and for every platform

Apps World 2012 takes place on Tuesday 2nd October and Wednesday 3rd October at the Earls Court 2 exhibition centre this year. It combines an exhibition with workshops and conference sessions designed for mobile developers, marketers, network operators, manufacturers and other mobile industry professionals.

In addition, there’s an award event - the Appsters awards - with a drinks reception and party at The Roof Gardens in Kensington on the Tuesday night.

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Last week at The Fonecast: 16th July 2012

Black days for BlackBerry?

Mark Bridge writes:

BlackBerry and bad news seem inextricably linked at the moment. RIM’s CEO admits he’s “not satisfied” with recent company performance and warns of challenging times ahead... and then the company is hit by a $147 million dollar damages order for patent infringement.

Mind you, Research In Motion wasn’t the only mobile company bringing disappointment into the mainstream news last week.

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Application review for CamScanner

Turn your smartphone into a document scanner

Mark Bridge writes:

Every so often, I see a new product that I’d like to review. I’ll usually send a note to the relevant company, borrow a review copy and send it back when I’ve finished.

And every so often I’ll be approached by a company that wants me to review a product. Sometimes I’ll say yes, sometimes I’ll say no. It all depends whether or not I think I’m the right person for the job.

When IntSig offered me a copy of a mobile application called CamScanner, I wasn’t too sure. It seemed very clever... but I wasn’t convinced I’d have much use for it.

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Ian Brown, CEO of Axell Wireless, talks about underground mobile phone coverage

Mark Bridge writes:

Just a few weeks ago WiFi was made available on a number of London Underground stations - yet mobile coverage still stops when you go down the escalator.

So why is it taking so long for us to get mobile phone service on the Tube?

For an insight into some of the challenges and the possible solutions I spoke to Ian Brown, CEO of Axell Wireless. The company is a leader when it comes to providing additional wireless coverage in confined spaces - from tunnels to sports stadiums - and is currently involved in the project to install mobile phone service on the Channel Tunnel.

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