Hipmunk Launches Android Flight Search Application

Brings on-the-go flight search and booking to hundreds of millions of mobile device users.

Android Development
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) September 29, 2011

Hipmunk, the travel search site, today announced the availability of its innovative flight search for mobile devices running the Android operating system. Following Hipmunk's successful launch of the iOS applications this year, the Android App is a native app designed to feel at home on Android. Radically different from other travel apps on Android, the Hipmunk Android app was built to respect the uniqueness of the platform and users' expectations from device. The Hipmunk Android app helps users find and book the best flights faster and more reliably and is available for free on the Android Market.

Features of the Hipmunk Android App include:

* Flight results displayed in the same visual timeline Hipmunk site users know and love;
* Flights automatically sorted by "Agony," a combination of flight duration, number of layovers, and price, with the option to sort by flight price, duration, departure and arrival time;
* At-a-glance WiFi information;
* Multiple booking options, including directly with many airlines;
* Booking through the mobile browser, or a finish code to book later from a computer;
* Ability to email search results to a friend, family member, or colleague;
* Android "back button" compatibility to dismiss results;
* Saved searches that allow users to easily flip between up to five recent searches to find their best travel options.

"More travelers are turning to their mobile devices to search, modify, and book flights, and we're seeing this reflected in our own Hipmunk traffic, where about 20% of our searches come from mobile devices," said Adam Goldstein, CEO Hipmunk. "With the Android market continuing its rapid growth, we're excited to streamline the mobile experience for our loyal users and bring our unique flight search to Android's over 100 million users."

In keeping with Hipmunk's vision to provide travelers with the best flight search experience possible, Hipmunk designed the Android app interface to allow users to navigate the app more intuitively. The "back button" works well to dismiss search results, rather than a graphical back arrow like iOS, and the email and sending options have a distinctly Android feel.

"There's no technological reason that Android apps can't be just as good, if not better, than iOS apps," said Ryan Oldenburg, Android Developer at Hipmunk. "And, as an avid Android user, I was determined to prove that, by developing an app that fit well into Android and wasn't just a clone of our iOS app."

The Hipmunk Android App is available for free from the Android Market here.

About Hipmunk
Hipmunk is a remarkable new travel search site that takes the pain out of travel planning. With its innovative "Agony" and "Ecstasy" sorts, Hipmunk presents flight results in a visual "timeline" and hotel results on a map, allowing people to select the best flight for them at a glance and view where in a destination they will be staying. Hipmunk is one of Budget Travel's "Top 10 Most Useful Websites," Inc.'s "Best Booking Website," TIME Magazine's "50 Coolest Websites," and Travel + Leisure's "Best Websites of 2011." Co-founders Adam Goldstein and Steve Huffman were named to Bloomberg BusinessWeek's "Top Tech Entrepreneurs" and Inc.'s "30 Under 30" lists. The company launched in 2010, is based in San Francisco, and has funding from Ignition Partners, Y Combinator, SV Angel, Webb Investment Network, Quest Hospitality Ventures, and several angel investors.

Source: sfgate

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Growing Popularity and Demand of Android Application Development

In last couple of years, the Android phones have gained tremendous popularity all over the world. The only reason behind increased popularity and demand of Android smart phones is their in-built Android applications which are stylish as well as utility applications. Today, people are more bothered about the presence of Android OS in their phones rather than the model of mobile phones. It has all necessary information like Maps, Weather, E-mails, Navigation, Music, Shopping, and many other countless stuff. The growing fame of Android Applications is because of two things - its fun part and its usefulness.

Android Apps Development
Because of this constant growth of popularity of applications, they are also gaining similar level of popularity in the mobile application development. Many businesses and companies providing Android app development services have achieved benefits and generated great revenues from it.

Android is an open source platform for developing applications for mobile phones giving a wider range of opportunities to the Android application developers to develop new and innovative applications. Developing these applications is simpler as the source code is accessible by anyone being an open source and at the same time it is affordable for both - developers to build them and for customers to use them.

Another important reason of its popularity is more security options offered through some Android applications for the phone which makes calling, texting and browsing mobile phone safer. An application for Android phones named Orbot allows the users to access internet, instant messaging and e-mail without being monitored or blocked by mobile internet service provider. Android Operating System is available on many mobile phones unlike BlackBerry and Apple which gives customers more variety of devices like HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, and others to choose from. A wide range of devices are available at different range of prices making more flexible for users to select. This is increasing demand of Android apps development in the market as majority of them prefer the hand set with Android OS rather than others.

The latest version of Android supports flash which will give users same experience as they get on desktops on their mobile phones. Many tools are available in the market of app development for using and easily implementing Android application development. The market for Android development is open for developers which has made it more popular amongst mobile application developers. For customized Android app development, the best option is to get it done by Android apps development experts.

Source: EzineArticles

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iPhone application connects users to school sports, leagues

Sports teams looking to get their information out to their communities in an accessible and modern way need not worry any longer — now there's an app for that.

iPhone Application Development
Team Info App LLC of Ruston has launched an iPhone application that gives schools, sports leagues and business teams a way to offer their communities vital information specific to their organization directly through their smartphones.

Only two days after becoming available to the public, the TeamInfoApp was the 17th most downloaded sports app in the Apple App Store on Friday, according to iOSNOOPS and iOS tracking company.

"We were really excited and thrilled by that," said TeamInfoApp co-founder and designer, Jordan Riggs, who created the app with his wife, Julie. "We really believe in the concept."

Riggs said they came up with the idea for the app after seeing the need firsthand.

"My wife and I have six kids who play just about every sport imaginable, and we couldn't figure out why more high schools and sports leagues didn't have a custom app to keep parents and fans updated with their team's information," he said. "So we looked into it and realized that what did exist was costly and labor-intensive for the schools and leagues to use and provided very limited features. We came up with a concept of something very easy and inexpensive for our partners to use with very little effort on their part."

The app allows users to access a variety of information from their organization, including their schedule, calendar of events, directions to events on Google Maps, team rosters, fundraising opportunities, contact information and websites.

"As parents, we're so busy today, and the info is out there but oftentimes not where you really need it to be. This allows the organizations to provide that information in the place where they really want to have it, which is on their phone," Riggs said. "Our phones have become the place where we access about 90 percent of our information."

TeamInfoApp is now partnered with Ruston's Cedar Creek School, Ruston Parks and Recreation, the YMCA of Northeast Louisiana for Ouachita, Lincoln and LaSalle parishes, Ruston Body Works and Ruston Dixie Baseball.

Source: thenewsstar

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iPhone Application Development Realizes Imagination

iPhone is among one of the most popular brands of smart phones available in the market.
The number of iPhones is increasing rapidly. This is credited to the built in features of the iPhone devices as well as the flexibility of the device to run customized add-on features.

The iPhone users can access the internet through the iPhone devices. The number of these sorts of iPhone users is increasing rapidly. Now it is obvious that the screen of iPhone is much smaller than that of the desk top PC and lap top. If there are images on the website to be downloaded on the iPhone device, the resolution of the image needs to be higher. This means that the websites need to be made compatible with the operating system and platform of the iPhones.

iPhone Application DevelopmentThe iPhone applications spread over a wide array of facilities and human needs. Some of the prominent applications pertain to entertainment, games, sending and receiving messages and emails, GPS system, business, education, news and sports.

If you have an idea and want to make it a money generating concept then the idea needs to be converted to an iPhone application. Before converting the idea into an iPhone application the feasibility of the idea needs to be studied and analyzed. If there is any application similar to the idea then it is necessary to think about extra facility to be added on to the application.

Finally when the idea is to be converted to an application, one needs to search for a professional iPhone application developer. The application developer should be experienced and adept with the technology to be used. There some mobile application development technologies that is not compatible with the operating system and the platform of the iPhone. The claims made by the developer should be genuine. The testimonials mentioned on the developer's website should be double checked. It is always better to trust the word of mouth recommendation and references.

Once the application has been developed, it needs to be submitted to the iTunes store for being bought and downloaded by prospective final buyers. The iTunes store is an online store especially for iPhone applications and has been set up by Apple Inc., the creators of iPhone. This store gives the application developer a chance to compare his/her application with that of others on the store and decide the price at which it is to be offered in the market.

If you have a good idea and want it to generate business then it is mandatory to have access to the iPhone users. This is only possible through having an attractive iPhone application developed by a professional adept iPhone application developer.

Source: EzineArticles

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Analyst Predicts Aluminum Unibody for iPhone 5

The iPhone 5 will come in the "unibody" form Apple uses in its Macbooks, an analyst predicts.

A Wall Street analyst has said that the Apple would release two phones -- iPhones 5 and a cheaper iPhone 4S -- at its upcoming event, expected for Oct. 4.

iPhone Development
"We continue to expect 2 new iPhone SKUs (a mid-range iPhone and iPhone 5) to be introduced at Apple's upcoming event," Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore wrote in a note to clients.

"Specifically, we expect an iPhone 5 with aluminum uni-body construction, better camera and slightly larger screen size as well as a cost-down iPhone 4, or iPhone 4S," Whitmore wrote.

On its Macbook Pros and Macbook Airs, Apple uses the unibody construction method, which allows for a consistency of production and reliability by reducing many moving parts to one part. Also, it makes the product thinner and stronger.

Speculation is that the iPhone 5 will have an 8-megapixel camera, a dual-core A5 processor with a clocking speed of at least 1.2GHz and a 4-inch display. Apple's iPhone 5 would also feature the new iCloud service in operating iTunes for wireless remote access of music from all computers and mobile devices. iPhone 5 would be running on iOS 5, which Apple would be releasing this fall.

On the other hand, the analyst said iPhone 4S should help Apple drive greater penetration into the mid-range smart-phone market and drastically expand Apple's addressable market. He also said that iPhone 4S is nothing but an 8 GB iPod Touch with a radio frequency module.

Whitmore believes that Apple can produce the iPhone 4S at volume with a sub $150 bill-of-material cost, giving it flexibility to drive volume, margins and share.

An aggressive push into the mid-range will essentially double Apple's iPhone addressable market in the near term and position it for more share gains in the 700 million-plus unit smartphone market by 2014.

"We believe Apple can achieve a BOM cost near ~$150 for a cost-reduced iPhone 4 (vs. our prior estimate of $165) aided by a favorable commodity environment and scale advantages. The lower BOM means Apple can aggressively price a mid-range iPhone to drive volume without sacrificing margins," Whitmore said.

The analyst added that even if Apple prices iPhone 4S between $300 and $350 (unlocked without a contract), it could still generate healthy manufacturing margins of more than 50 percent.

Source: ibtimes

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iPhone Application Development - The Early Stages

IPhone is a leading smart phone that serves not only the purpose of telecommunication but also as platform for multimedia and ability of multiple capabilities with the help of only a single tool.

iPhone Application Development
According to Apple store the iPhone applications have been downloaded a billion times. On the Apple store there are a number of applications ranging from those that are very useful to those that are hardly of any use.

Seeing these many applications already put up for sale, you would also want your iPhone application that could be accessible by all the users of iPhone. When you thing this way a number of queries such as clarification about the source of the SDK, and the steps to be taken need to answered.

Following are some of the prominent aspects of developing an iPhone application.

• If you want to develop an iPhone application, the first step is to get a clear picture about how the current applications work on the iPhone. It is said that one cannot learn swimming unless he or she jumps into the water. In this case too you need to first study thoroughly study the working of the current iPhone applications.

• You should understand that the working of the iPhone is quite different from the working of the desktop computer. The operation commands are executed in a specific way on the iPhone. If your application does not comply with the requirements of the iPhone then it is going to back fire and lead to waste of time, money and resources.

• The user interface is very different because the content within the iPhone is only accessible with the help of your fingers. The size of the screen is quite limited. There is a very limited scope of offering help to the user.

• Animation is one thing that is used extensively in the iPhone just to make the interface very lively. This implies that the iPhone application that you develop should be easy to use by the users.

• The iPhone is equipped with a set of accelerometers. These set of accelerometers detect the movement and orientation of the iPhone device. It is because of this that the iPhone simulator has to be used on either the iPod Touch or the actual iPhone.

• http://developer.apple.com/iphone/ is the developer site of the iPhone and is rich with information about iPhone application development. You can access the documents, informative videos and even the sample codes through that website.

You should go through thoroughly the user interface guidelines of the iPhone provided on this website. This is required the most especially to clear the fundamentals. This can make you clear about the way applications work on the iPhone. You also come to know how things can be controlled and about the functionality.

Source: EzineArticles

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iPhone 5 will have killer system-wide voice control

If you crack open the casing of the new iPhone, you will find significant upgrades from the iPhone 4. The new iPhone features Apple’s dual-core A5 processor like the iPad 2 for even faster performance, better gaming, and drastically improved graphics. Apple didn’t stop there though. Unlike the iPad 2, the new iPhone packs 1GB of RAM, according to a source familiar with the SOC’s manufacturing. That not only means better web browsing, but more importantly, new background tasks that Apple will introduce in the new iPhone’s software will perform much better.

The new iPhone will also feature an upgraded camera system. In terms of hardware, the new camera is an 8 megapixel sensor that takes incredibly high-resolution and clear shots, even in low light conditions because it has a backlit sensor. Also, panorama photography references have been found in the iOS SDK on multiple occasions which means we’ll likely see that feature. Other than that, the camera front-end system is reportedly mostly the same.

The new iPhone also contains Qualcomm Gobi Baseband chips that allow it to operate on both GSM and CDMA networks. We can’t yet confirm or deny the rumors that Apple was building a virtual SIM card system or if it has an NFC chip yet, however.

Although some may be happy with the new iPhone’s substantial internal hardware boosts, the new device’s biggest selling point is actually a software feature called Assistant. As we first revealed, Assistant is Apple’s Siri-inspired, system-wide voice navigation system. It so far appears that iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS users will be left out in the fun, unfortunately, because the feature requires the A5 CPU and additional RAM.

From what we’ve heard, the Siri-based Assistant is described as the biggest game changer in this year’s iPhone. The system is the evolution of the Voice Control function that was introduced alongside the iPhone 3GS in 2009 and it is the fruit of Apple’s purchase of Siri last year.

How it works:

To activate, the user holds down the home button for a couple of seconds (loads much quicker than Voice Control because of the A5 chip/RAM) and then the microphone interface “slides up” from the bottom in a clever animation. The speech interface doesn’t cover your entire view, just about the bottom fourth of the display – like the multitasking/app-switcher function. The feature even works from the lock screen.

As a disclaimer, we must note that the software was not finalized when the details were provided, so some features may change in the shipping version.

Since there are so few direct commands with Voice Control, Apple slides the command options by on a waveform. Assistant is packed with seemingly endless possibilities, so Apple instead has a small “info” button which one can click to view some of the most commonly spoken commands. This command view not only shows command types, but actually provides some sample phrases; Apple obviously wants their implementation to be as intuitive as possible. In the middle of the Assistant interface – next to the small command samples button – is a silver microphone icon with an orbiting purple flare. The flare notes that your iPhone is ready to receive commands.

Assistant taps into many aspects of the iPhone, according to people familiar with the feature and SDK findings. For example, one can say make appointment with Mark Gurman for 7:30 PM and Assistant will create the appointment in the user’s calendar. On noting events, Assistant also allows users to set reminders for the iOS 5 Reminders application. For example, a user could say “remind me to buy milk when I arrive at the market.” Another example would be integration with the iOS Maps application. A user could ask: “how do I get to Staples Center?” and Assistant will use the user’s current location via GPS and provide directions.

Another interesting Assistant feature is the ability to create and send an SMS or iMessage with just your voice. For example, you can say “send a text to Mark saying I’ll be running late to lunch!” – and it will send. This is a super compelling feature for people who cannot physically or safely take the time to type out a text message. Users can also choose to have Assistant read back unsent text messages to ensure the system interpreted the speech correctly. If the text is written correctly, the user simply says “yes;” if not the user says “no” and Assistant will ask the user to speak again. Apple is also working to allow users to ask for a specific song to be played. Voice Control only allows albums, artists, and playlists to be chosen with your voice.

One of the key elements of Assistant is the conversation view. The system will actually speak back and forth with the user to gain the most information in order to provide the best results. The user essentially can hold a conversation with their iPhone like it is another human being. For example, if a user is making a meeting with me, they will say “setup meeting with Mark” and the first “bubble” of the conversation thread will say that. After that, the system will speak back: “which e-mail address should Mark be notified at, work or personal?” This question will both be spoken out loud by the iPhone Assistant and shown as a new “bubble” in the conversation thread. The user will then respond with the email address they want to notify me at, and the appointment will be made. The iPhone will even show a quick glance at a calendar view to confirm the appointment. If the Assistant was sending an SMS, as another example, a mini SMS view would appear so the user has a quick glance at the SMS thread.

Assistant is literally like a personal assistant, but in your phone. The speech interpretation is so accurate that users do not even have to speak very clearly or in a slow and robotic tone, according to a source familiar with the software. Users can simply talk how they would usually talk to another person, and the iPhone with Assistant will do its best to interpret the speech and provide accurate results.

Another compelling feature relating to Assistant is “Find my Friends.” Yes, Find my Friends is real and Apple may have been waiting on Assistant integration to release it into the wild. Basically, if a friend of mine wants to instantly know where I am, they could say “where’s Mark?” and Assistant will locate me and share my location information. Of course, there will be privacy settings for this as we previously revealed.

Perhaps the coolest aspect of Assistant is its integration with Wolfram Alpha. For those unfamiliar with Wolfram Alpha, it is an online computational knowledge system. With its integration into the new iPhone and Assistant, one could essentially ask their iPhone facts or questions of all types and get an instant response. For example, you can ask your iPhone a math problem or ask how many feet are there in 12.75 meters, and get an instant answer. The whole idea of having an infinite amount of information at the sound of your voice is unbelievably convenient and powerful.

In addition to Assistant, the new iPhone features Nuance speech-to-text integration, formally called “Dictation,” according to a mobile carrier source familiar with the feature’s extended testing. As expected, the user just taps the microphone icon, speaks, and the speech becomes text. This happens in less than a second in most cases and is unbelievably accurate. The interface for this is also said to be remarkably simple and blends into the design of the iOS 5 Messages application.

Going back to the hardware design, we’re hesitant to jump to conclusions at this point, but we do know that these next-generation iPhones are definitely floating around with shells that look identical to the iPhone 4. Because a report claimed that Apple is stuffing next-generation guts into iPhone 4 casings to throw off leaks, we don’t want to affirm that the new iPhone retains the iPhone 4 design. In addition, a new design has been rumored based on recent “iPhone 5″ case leaks.

In any case, expect Assistant, 1GB of RAM, the dual-core A5 processor, Nuance speech-to-text, and an 8 megapixel camera to make an incredible iPhone upgrade on October 4th.

Source: 9to5mac

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Factors Contributing to the iPhone Application Development

There is a frenzy regarding iPhone application development. Along with skilled software professionals, there are a large number of entrepreneurs and ordinary people focusing their energies in this area. Everyone is trying their luck to hit it off with a successful app.

What it is that is driving the application market and contributing in building mobile application hysteria is something worth looking into. The key factors that are adding to this rage are the financial gains, convenient platforms and easy to develop application methods available today.
iPhone Application Development

Apple's iPhone takes the credit for starting this trend. Ever since the App store was launched, the response by developers has been enormous. The App store gave birth to a new culture of mobile applications that provided increased functionality and productivity from a mobile device. Such was the success of iPhone applications that people bought the phone more for the reason of the applications it offered.

iPhone has come to be a huge name in mobile industry that has a big fan following and user base. Many developers focus on bringing their applications to this platform for maximum exposure. There is a lot of information available on developing an application for the iPhone platform.

The ease with which applications today can be developed was not available before and that is the reason why ordinary people also want to develop applications for mobiles. There is not a lot of programming involved and a person does not need to have high software engineering skills to make it in the market. A mobile application can be designed with a little bit of guidance, direction and small investment.

Today there are several websites that guide developers on how to start and go about the development process. The developer's community discusses the problems and techniques online across different forums that can be quite helpful for those who want such information. Different techniques, tips and basic information on mobile application development are easily available. While some websites charge for the software or information that is provided, some offer it for free.

Another factor that lures the developers to this field are the success stories of developers who have managed to earn big sums from the iPhone applications that became popular. There have been independent developers and small firms who made it big with simple applications.

However, it must be noted that iPhone applications development market is already too crowded. In order to make the application worth downloading it has to offer something attractive to the user.

Source: EzineArticles

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Top iOS 5 Features Already Existent in Android Devices

Apple's upcoming operating system iOS 5, which is expected to be released this fall and is going to power iPhone 5, iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 4 and iPhone 3 GS, has copied certain features from the Android platform.

Ever since Google took over Android in 2005, the Android platform has grown in quality year after year and it has turned out to be the best selling platform worldwide in 2011.

Android Development
iPhone and iPad gave Apple the reputation of reinventing the smartphone and tablet market. However, the fast-growing popularity of the Android devices has forced Apple to borrow certain features for iOS 5 to match up with its competitor.

Here is the list of some important iOS 5 features, which are existent in Android-based devices.

Notification Center: This feature aggregates several app alert and you can access the entire store at one place by swiping your finger from top to bottom. Android users are familiar with the Notifications appearing at the top bar showing time, Bluetooth, network conditions, battery state, network conditions, GPS and other icons. The notification for a missed call, tweet and Facebook message appears at the top of the screen.

Cloud Sync: Google has adopted Cloud computing for over ten years. The data in Google Apps is stored in the cloud instead of on employee computers. This enables multiple users to access the data stored in the cloud without using the same operating system, software and browser. With iCloud coming to iOS 5, iPhone users can store data such as music files and download to iPads, iPhones, iPods and personal computers running Microsoft Windows or Mac OS X.

Newsstand: Google's centralized digital newsstand has attracted a lot of media companies to invest on the platform. iOS 5 comes with a new feature, Newsstand, where the users can subscribe to magazines and newspapers and download updates in the background. Background updates and sync have been there in Android for a long time now. The good thing about Android story is that the APIs for this are public.

Reminder: iOS 5 comes with Reminders, a location based organization app which offers improved to-do lists that are compatible with Outlook, iCal and iCloud. On Android, reminder is not needed as apps like Astrid or Taskos can handle this sort of functionality by themselves. The Reminders in iOS 5 are supported by geolocation feature .Location aware apps are available in Android devices for free.

Wireless Sync: Users of iOS devices can now wirelessly sync their devices to their Mac or PC over a shared WiFi connection. Android users have been syncing movies, music, bookmarks and contacts wirelessly between the phone/tablet and a PC/Mac for a long time using third party apps.

Twitter Integration: Apple is integrating Twitter to all its iOS based devices and to many of its own apps, including Camera, Photos, Safari and Maps. In Android 2.0, Google added the ability for app developers to hook their apps into the Android sharing and contacts system.

Widgets: In Android devices, widgets have proved very useful if you have to take a quick snapshot of information without having to open the apps on weather, news, stocks and similar services. The iOS 5 Notification bar will carry updated information in stocks and weather bars.

Source: ibtimes

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A Practical Legal Guide to iPhone Application Development

iphone application development
It's the iPhone Application developer's worst (and increasingly justified) fear: Spending significant time, money, and resources building an app only to have it rejected, or worse, pulled from the App Store for alleged legal violations.

Carefully navigating the legal landscape in which app development operates is therefore essential to launch and maintain a successful Application. Prudence dictates being mindful of the common legal pitfalls to iPhone application development before and during the development process - and not after - when it is oftentimes too late.

By examining the iPhone SDK Agreement, Apple's End User License Agreement, and federal copyright and trademark registration, this article provides an introductory overview of the common legal issues surrounding iPhone Application development, and the measures developers can adopt to minimize liability and maximize protection of their intellectual property rights.

The iPhone SDK Agreement
Apple's iPhone SDK Agreement imposes several significant legal requirements, the most notable of which include:
Privacy laws: Developers are required to comply with all state, federal, and international privacy laws regarding user data collection, and picture or voice capture. Accordingly, personal information collected from a user may not be disseminated without the user's consent; the unauthorized use of a user's name or likeness for gain is prohibited; and a user's voice may not be recorded absent a conspicuously displayed notice indicating that a recording is taking place.

Copyrights in music and content: Any music incorporated into your Application must be wholly owned by you or licensed to you on a fully "paid-up" basis. (Such a license should provide that the one-time, lump-sum payment is final, and that you are released from any and all further payment obligations to the Licensor, no matter how successful the Application becomes.) Further, any and all content in your Application must be owned by you, or be used by you with the owner's permission. If you are using content other than music by virtue of a license, the license should state the royalty terms, if any, resulting from any and all sales of your Application.

Objectionable content and materials: Applications may not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive, or defamatory content, or other content that Apple deems objectionable. What is "objectionable" is a matter of Apple's reasonable discretion; legal challenges to a rejection of your Application on this basis will prove difficult.

Free and open source software: Applications that include Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) must comply with all applicable FOSS licensing terms. The SDK Agreement also requires (perhaps superfluously) that your use of FOSS may not in any way infect the SDK itself.

NOTE
Due to its "viral" nature, you need to be careful when using open source code that is subject to a restrictive open source license if you want to safely incorporate it into your proprietary software. For instance, the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) require that any derivative work that incorporates GPL code must itself be subject to the GPL, thereby rendering the resulting software "open" and the source code publicly available. Not only will any trade secrets contained in any code carrying a GPL license be forcibly disclosed, others may freely copy and distribute your source code, give it away for free, or even create a competing product using your own code. The viral nature of restrictive open source licenses can have a devastating impact on your company's intellectual property assets.

End User License Agreement
Applications made available through the App Store are subject to Apple's Licensed Application End User License Agreement ("EULA"), unless the end user enters into a valid EULA with the developer.

The following provisions of Apple's EULA are of special note, and should be adopted should you use your own EULA:

Disclaimer of warranty: This provision states that the Application is being provided "as-is," without any express or implied warranties regarding the Application's quality, performance, effectiveness or reliability. In those jurisdictions where disclaimers of warranty are enforceable, such a provision protects the Licensor from potential legal claims arising from the use of the Application, as the Licensor makes no promises of any kind.

Limitation of liability: This provision protects the Licensor from liability for personal injury, loss of profits, loss of data, or other direct and indirect damages arising from the use of, or the inability to use, the Application. This provision additionally places an upper dollar limit on the total damages for which the Licensor may be liable, excluding damages for personal injury in those states where such a limitation would be unenforceable.

Copyright and Trademark Protections
Both copyright and trademark registration are relatively affordable means to protect your investment in your
software.
iPhone Application Development

Copyright Registration
As a matter of law, copyright protection subsists in original works of authorship fixed in any tangible means of expression. The exclusive rights of reproduction, adaptation, and distribution are conferred automatically upon the owner of a copyright as soon as his or her work is written.

Although registering an Application is not a prerequisite for copyright protection, registration does afford several distinct advantages:

Registration is required to bring an infringement suit.  Registration within five years of publication creates a presumption of validity of the copyright and the facts contained in the registration certificate. Presumptive validity can be of critical importance when seeking a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order requiring the copyright infringer to cease and desist.

Registration prior to infringement allows for the recovery of attorney fees and statutory damages. (Because actual damages are often difficult to prove, the owner of a copyright may elect to recover instead an award of statutory damages in an amount between $750 and $30,000, as the court deems just. The court may increase this amount to $150,000 for willful infringements.)

Where a computer program containing trade secret materials is being registered, the Copyright Office allows you to deposit source code with the trade secret information redacted, or to deposit a combination of source code and object code, with up to 49 percent of the source code blacked out. Where an applicant is unwilling to deposit source code (even with portions blacked out), he or she may deposit object code only, but must state in writing that the work as deposited in object code contains copyrightable authorship.

Because of the difficulty in reading object code, depositing your program in this form will generally protect any trade secrets contained in your code. However, because the Copyright Office cannot read the object code to determine if your program constitutes an original work of authorship, your program will be registered under the Copyright Office's "rule of doubt," and you will accordingly lose one of the primary benefits of registration - that is, the presumption that your copyright is valid.

PRACTICE POINT

Who owns the copyright for Applications created by an employee or independent contractor? Under the "work-for-hire" doctrine, there is a rebuttable presumption that the copyright in a work created by an employee acting within the scope of his or her employment vests in the employer, absent an agreement to the contrary. However, an independent contractor generally maintains the rights to his or her creation, unless the parties agree in writing that the work is considered one for hire. Best practice: Get it in writing!

Trademark Registration
A trademark is any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof, that identifies to consumers the source of a product, and allows trademark owner to distinguish their products from the products manufactured or sold by others.

Federal registration of your trademark confers several important advantages:

Exclusive use of the mark for particular goods and services on a nationwide basis. (Note: Without federal registration, an owner's right to use a trademark is limited to the actual geographic area of actual use of the mark.)

Access to the federal courts to enforce your rights, including double or triple damages in the event of willful infringement (which is presumed if the infringed mark was on the federal principal trademark register).
Constructive notice of trademark protection, and prima facie evidence of the registrant's ownership and exclusive right to use the mark.

Right to achieve "incontestable status" after a period of five years of continuous use, thereby reducing the ability of infringers to challenge the validity of the mark on the basis that it is not sufficiently distinctive.

In selecting a name to be trademarked, it is important to adopt a strong (or distinctive) mark, as the level of protection against infringement of a trademark varies according to the "strength" of a mark. Generally, "arbitrary" and "fanciful" marks enjoy the greatest protection, whereas "generic" marks are not registrable, and can therefore never achieve federal protection. Apple, in referring to computers, is an example of a strong (here, "arbitrary") mark because the word "apple" bears no relationship to the product or service the mark represents. On the other hand, the term computer in the software industry is irretrievably generic and would never be afforded trademark protection.

Together with copyright registration, trademark registration should be considered as an additional step to protect your intellectual property rights in any Application you develop.

PRACTICE POINT

Even if you chose not to trademark your Application, a thorough trademark search should be still conducted to avoid inadvertent infringement. A number of Applications have been removed from the App Store on the basis that they allegedly infringed a pre-existing trademark.
Conclusion

While it is impossible to predict every potential legal issue that an iPhone Application developer may confront, the most common pitfalls can certainly be avoided.

A proactive legal compliance strategy, implemented early on as part of the development and pre-development process, should be adopted to reduce legal risk and strengthen protection of your intellectual property rights in your Application.

NOTE

The information contained herein is not intended to constitute legal advice or a legal opinion as to any particular matter. The contents are intended for general information purposes only, and you are urged to consult with an attorney concerning your own situation and any specific questions you may have.

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iPhone Application Development Increases Business Revenue Generation

iPhone application development is now gradually turning out to be mandatory especially for those businesses that do not want to leave any buyer unattended. These smart phones have facilitates the user with accessibility to the internet from a small palm sized device. iPhone application development is sure to increase the revenue generation of the business. A closer look at the following aspects will justify this claim.

Popularity:
With the sales of the iPhone crossing 4 million there is no doubt that the iPhone is becoming more and more in style day by day. Till date more than 1 billion applications have been sold by iTunes store. The applications add to the feature of the iPhone. The utility of the iPhone has been enhanced because of these added features. The popularity of the iPhone is now so much that the iPhone users need to be considered a different market segment, because these iPhone users try to access the internet through the iPhone. If the application has not been developed to be compatible with the operating system and platform of the iPhone, the iPhone user will not be able to have accesses to the website and this could harm the business generated by the website.

iPhone application development
Wide array of applications:
There are different types of iPhone application available in the market, especially at the Apple Store, the online store by the manufacturers of iPhone. Mention the industry, product or service and there is an application for it ready to be downloaded and used.

If a business does not avail the services of iPhone application developer, it does not mean that others will also follow the suit. On the contrary the competitors will be ever ready to go one step further and attend to your buyers too. One can choose the application that most suits the business and later get a customized iPhone application developed with added features.

Return on Investment:
Nowadays there are a number of iPhone application developers in the market. The competition among these developers has brought down the charges quoted by them. On the other hand, the market of the iPhone is so huge that if the application development is done methodically and carefully, there is no doubt the application is going to be sold like hot cakes. As far as costing and returns are concerned the breakeven point can be achieved easily.

Marketing strategy:
The marketing strategy of the manufacturers of iPhone is very unique. They have started an online store to sell the iPhone applications. This online store offers a platform to the developers for the sale of their applications. The developers earn money and at the same time the features of the iPhone can also be enhanced.

Going one step further hiring the services of a professional expert iPhone application development service provider can assure high return on investment.

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Apple's iPad 3 should have a Kids Edition

The iPad 3 isn't expected to break cover until 2012, but there has been a steady flow of rumours about its likely specs and features. A better display is expected to be included, as is a lighter carbon-fibre body, a beefier A6 processor and better cameras. More features are all well and good, but these are logical steps forward rather than a revolution.

iPad Development

What if Apple was to make an iPad 3 with fewer features though? Strip out the email, place restrictions on Web browsing and the App Store, and bury the Settings so deep the average user wouldn't even find them by accident? A dreadful idea, yes? But I'm talking about that average user being a child.

Apps for kids are huge, why not an iPad?

I'd love Apple to make an iPad 3 for kids, and here's why. When the first iPad was announced, several friends told me they'd never let their children within a country mile of the device. Hand over a £429 tablet to a jam-fingered dribbly toddler with a tendency to fling things at the wall? Yeah, right. This device was going to be adults-only. Except that's not how it's turned out.

The market for kids' apps is booming on iPad, as well as on iPhone and iPod touch. There are tens of thousands of animated picture books, games, educational apps, talking animals, ABC flash cards and digital toys available on the App Store, with plenty of willing buyers. The idea of handing your tablet over to your child seems eminently reasonable nowadays, and not just when you're at the end of your tether on a car journey or stuck inside on a rainy day.

Apps like Toca Robot Lab, Nursery Rhymes with StoryTime, Charles Peattie's Animal ABC, Paint My Wings, sundry Dr Seuss book-apps, Mindshapes' Jack In The Beanstalk, Nighty Night and Nosy Crow's The Three Little Pigs and Cinderella have captivated my two children, giving us many hours of fun as a family. Okay, and some spectacular tantrums when the iPad gets turned off, admittedly.
Five reasons why they need their own iPad

So, kids are using iPads and iPad 2s already, jammy fingers and all. Why should Apple make a special version of the iPad 3 just for them? Reason one: I've found my children merrily swiping their way through my email inbox, tapping gleefully whenever a little red button pops up (ie 'delete').

Reason two: that thing where all your app icons wobble while waiting to be deleted with a tap, which is quite easy to trigger? That.

Reason three: the Settings screen is a bit too accessible. Reason four: my photo library is now stuffed with around 674 PhotoBooth shots of my 4-year-old staring into the screen with a look of concentration on his face. If a picture tells a thousand words, he's leaving the equivalent of War & Peace on the iPad most nights. Reason five...

Well, you get the picture. Sharing your iPad with children is still a worry. Kid iPad could solve that by getting rid of the unneeded features like email, providing more controls for Web browsing and YouTube to make them child-friendly, and maybe even adding in new features focused on how kids might want to use the device (one-tap sharing of photos and scribbles with parents and grandparents, for example).

Apple could work on the device components to bring the price down, although the design wouldn't need to change -- even if the idea of Jony Ive wandering round Toys R Us eyeballing Fisher Price telephones for inspiration is irresistible. Pretty much every parent I know would be interested in the device, especially if Apple marketed it alongside the grown-up iPad 3.
Is it going to happen?

You can probably guess the answer to that. Apple's laser focus on a handful of products is what's making it billions of dollars right now, rather than bimbling about with offshoot devices aimed at niche audiences. If children are in Apple's thoughts device-wise, it's more likely to be as a key reason for parents to upgrade to the iPad 3 from an original iPad or iPad 2, so they can pass the older device on.

What's more realistic would be for Apple to act on this trend with its iOS software, though. Include a few more parental options such as the ability to lock down the Settings, browser and ability to delete anything from the device, for example. Perhaps even bring the idea of profiles to the iPad, recognising that while some families have one each, many still share a single device between two, three or four people -- including children. Making this simple and intuitive is the challenge, but that's Apple's bread and butter.
Make App Store child-friendly

More pressing is this: the App Store needs a Kids category. Currently, apps for children are spread between Games, Entertainment, Books and Lifestyle on Apple's store, with no unified chart to see what's currently popular. It's something the company is clearly aware of, since it has an Apps For Kids featured selection bringing some good apps together, but expanding this to a full App Store category would be a great move for parents and developers alike.

Expect to see a bunch of tablets aimed at children launch in the next year or so, all looking to capitalise on parents' desire to get their kids using new technology (or just to keep them quiet with a game for 10 minutes while you're having a peaceful cup of tea). LeapFrog already has its Explorer tablet, and there will be more to come running Android, hopefully with some or all of the features on my wishlist.

Their Achilles Heels may be apps. What iPad has right now is a big collection of creative, innovative and fun apps for kids, with two or three more new ones of note coming out every day. Anything Apple can do to bolster its tablet's appeal to children and their parents will pay off in the future: those children will be buying smart phones and tablets in a few years' time, after all. Even if they're not still buying Peppa Pig games to play on them.

Source: crave.cnet

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iPhone Application Development - Hire an iPhone App Developer For Education Apps

iPhone App development has opened doors to a whole new experience to a number of things including Education. There are number of apps available in iTunes store. Here is a list of some of them.
Advance Vocabulary Genius by Brains cape

With this iPhone application development you can improve your vocabulary faster than other vocabulary app. It applies latest cognitive science techniques. This app help you efficiently learn over 2000 'dynamic flashcards' covering both vocabulary words and their roots. Their mission is to make learning easier and more convenient. Rather than creating frivolous games or distracting quizzes try to make it fun, it provides scientifically optimized algorithm to repeat flash card in just right pattern for your brain's maximum absorption, based on your confidence.

Features:
• Nearly 1900 flashcards for some of the most beautiful yet difficult words in English language, complete with definition, sample sentences and synonyms
• Over 300 'word elements' flashcards for common prefixes, suffixes and roots.
• A customized flashcards repetition algorithm that cuts your memorization time dramatically
• Convenient 'browse' and 'search' functions that allows you to easily find the cards you want
• On going feedback, statistic, visualization tools to help you track your pages.

iPhone Application Development
Math Skill K
This iPhone application development is for kindergartners. It teaches them to count numbers, perform non numerical comparisons and to identify shapes. This application adheres to the kindergartner curricula of various states including California. Concepts are taught in a fun ways, with the use of animals and colorful shapes. Progression is non linear. There is minimum usage of text. Graphics and touch activity is design to suit little fingers. Tests have shown that kids love to play this app repeatedly and grasp the concepts very fast.

iWritesWords
This iPhone application development teaches your child handwriting while playing a fun and entertaining game. Help Mr. Crab collect the numbers in sequence by dragging him with your finger - and drawing letters at the same time. Once all the letters are drawn properly, a cute drawing appears. Tilt your iPhone and see the letters slide into the rotating hole and advance to the next level.

Features:
• Learn handwriting the fun way
• 70 words of uppercase letters
• 70 words of lowercase letters
• 20 levels of numbers
• 26 levels of individual letters tracing for uppercase letters
• 26 levels of individual letters tracing for lowercase letters
• Playback the accomplish words featuring your child's own handwriting
• Realistic physics and gravity for falling letters
• Play the ABC song by taping or shaking your iPhone like drumming
• Each letter and word is spoken as it was completed

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More Android Users Than iPhone Users Have Downloaded IRS Tax App

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Adding to the emerging research on smartphone users, the Treasury Department reported Tuesday that more Android users than iPhone users so far have employed their smartphones to check on their tax returns.

Android & iPhone Development
Online tracking data already has exposed some dividing lines among smartphone users: Apple Inc. (AAPL)'s iPhone users prefer chicken to pork ribs, which are favored by Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Android users, Coupons.com said last fall, for example.

When it comes to checking in on their tax returns, Android users are flocking earlier to IRS2GO, the Internal Revenue Service's first mobile application, according to a report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration released Tuesday. Users can check on their tax returns and get tax tips with the program.

The Treasury report found that 178,773 Android users and 147,205 iPhone users have downloaded the app since its release on Jan. 20, 2011. Those numbers may even understate the preferences since the iPhone figure dates to May 15, while the Android figure is slightly older, from March 1.

The Treasury report found no security problems with the application, but sounded concern over the IRS's decision to use a programming language and open-source software that had not been approved when developing the application. Senior officials also never approved the application before its release, the report noted.

"The IRS is to be commended for using technology to make tax information more accessible to taxpayers," Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration J. Russell George said in a statement. "However, I am troubled that the IRS took some shortcuts in developing the application."

In its response to the report, IRS officials noted that rules mapping out the approval process were written 25 years ago and last updated in 2000, before the advent of mobile platforms. The tax agency said it will make sure new programs are properly screened, but are still released in a timely manner.

Source: foxbusiness

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iPhone Application Development - Most Up-To-Date Advancement in Technology

These days technology is exhibiting lots of assistance to the individuals and it is your duty to make efficiently use of the technology through the main objective of obtaining various tasks prepared within the straight time frame. There are number of individuals who are actually fascinated towards the technical part of the development and are in line contributing a variety of helpful applications which would move with number of android cell phones and other portable devices such as iPads. It is common that you might be required to get a speech or lecture or even a class if you're a student and you would find number of applications in the cell phones which would certainly help you with the task of having all the documents through the portable device.
iPhone application development

The software is in fact a simple to use with two modes of action: edit as well as prompt. Edit mode would certainly assist you through writing and the prompt mode is utilized as you are prepared to give out a speech. You could certainly adjust the scrolling pace as per you option depending on the chosen time given to you for the tutorial class. You are also given the option to import any word documents from any writing applications along with the facility to copy paste the data or the information from the email through main objective of creating a very good presentation through all the applicable information. This application functions well with all the android operating systems without any problem. This is just one simple instance of iPhone application development.

You might have also taken notice of about the songwriter's pad which comes with the android operating system. This application is developed through the intend of serving many people to note down the lines that comes to the mind irrespective of giving significance to the location where they are situated then. It is usual that you mightn't be aware concerning the time you might get attention towards writing something and also you may not come to the same circumstances after assured time frame. You could without doubt make use of the service efficiently without any problem through the passage of time with esteem to the application developed by the developers. To be sure you're given with all the services that are necessary as using such kind of applications which includes the dictionary as well. In a way the applications are scaling up through the full acceptance.

The mobile technology has got a great uprising in the communication segment of the society in which individuals are able to make use of the latest iPhone App Design. The new iPad App Development have helped man in number of ways with its dramatic applications.

Source: EzineArticles

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What will happen to Android in the tablet market as mobile and desktop platforms merge?

Since the introduction of iOS in early 2007, the mobile world has never been the same. Google, Apple, Microsoft and a select few others have entered themselves in a race for the best mobile operating system around. In light of bigger, faster, more powerful handsets, the capabilities of mobile software has increased tenfold, along with the idea of how said software should operate.

iPhone, Android & iPad Development
Back at the WWDC in June, Apple gave us a peek into their endgame: merging their desktop software (OS X) with their mobile platform (iOS). Likewise, Microsoft has been working around the clock to make Windows 8 ride the line between mobile and desktop software. The approaching Windows 8 update will support x86, x64 and ARM architectures and schizophrenically share the very familiar Windows desktop with a Windows Phone-like Metro UI.

The obvious cause here is to bring together two markets that are inevitably merging with one another instead of killing one off entirely. The two technologies come with serious faults of their own, but could be vastly improved by bringing the two together and creating one super platform. Full desktop software has extreme functionality with more apt Internet browser options and programs, but it doesn't play well with more lightweight hardware and components. On the other hand, mobile platforms run happily on lighter, less powerful hardware – which translates to extreme portability – but only offers a fraction of the functionality. If the two can be integrated appropriately, this could take tablets, PCs and mobile computing to an entirely different level.

For the most part, we know how Microsoft and Apple have this planned out. The path is already paved for Windows and OS X, and with such a large, existing footprint in the computer business, the marketing options are endless. They can tweak their in-house software to work just as they want – no need to start from scratch. But where does Android fit into this whole tablet-computer merger? If you recall, Google only owns Android. They currently have no desktop equivalent. They do have Chrome OS, but it is neither a full desktop OS or really any more functional than current mobile platforms.

Then there is Linux, which is the sole foundation of Android. Being open source and so closely related, I feel if Google were to follow the lead of companies such as Apple or Microsoft, they would be forced to take the Linux path. But even Linux may not be enough to edge out its competition. Linux has been around for 20 years and despite being a fully functional operating system, it never went mainstream. The personal computers that you can buy preloaded with Linux are few and far between. Linux has mostly remained behind the scenes and running the gadgets and gizmos that you would least expect.

Although Linux is fully capable and my operating system of choice, the third-party software support is a hit or miss. I spend a lot of my time searching for alternatives to Windows or Mac programs, so I don't have to reboot my computer to Windows. It's only for the junkies. Not everyone is going to want to load their Linux/Android tablet up with Wine just run Windows programs on the go. (Just the thought makes my head hurt.) No, they're probably going to buy a Windows 8 tablet instead.

Lest we forget that Intel support is coming to Android in the not too distant future, which could definitely expand options quite a bit. But don't set your hopes too high for a Windows-Android dual-booting tablet. Although I doubt Microsoft would complain if Google (and their partners) came crawling to them for a licensing deal, El Goog is on their own here.

So what will Google do? My best guess is they will try to keep Android operating a solo operation until they absolutely have to come up with something else. Linux seems to be their only viable option at this point, and even that route may leave them stranded, choking on the dust from Microsoft and Apple. For the die-hards, Linux will be great. But basic consumers will stick to the more mainstream platforms when push comes to shove.

Who knows, Android may finally be what brings Linux into the limelight. A guy can dream, right?

It's tough trying to predict how this inevitable merger will pan out. But it appears as if Google may quickly find themselves in a pinch. What say you, tablet lovers? Would you prefer a full (yet optimized) operating system on your tablet? When the time comes, will you drop Android for other, more functional and mainstream platforms if Google can't keep up? Is there anything in particular that you would like to see Google do with Android to make it more functional?

Source: phonedog

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iPhone Application Development - A Well-Paid Business

iPhone App. Development concerns developing the applications for the iPhone so that its features and utility are optimized.

Accessibility of the internet through the mobile phones has changed the perception of all those who use the mobile phones. The mobile phones have now transformed into smart phones. These smart phones not only facilitate telecommunication but also connection to the internet, entertainment and other features like camera and video recording. The smart phones are now the ticket to the virtual world of internet.
There are two ways of looking at iPhone app. development. The first pertains to the user and the other the business world.
iPhone application development

iPhone is not the only brand of smart phone available in the market. Being one of the pioneers of this market it does not mean the manufacturers need nothing to do to stay on the top. On the other hand new features need to be added continuously to the iPhone so that its popularity is maintained. Keeping this in mind, Apple Inc., the manufacturers of iPhone, have started the Apple Store. This is the online store for iPhone application. It facilitates not only the users but also the developers. The app. developers get a platform to market their applications. 70% of the proceeds from the sales go to the developer while 20% is retained by Apple Inc. This not only encourages the app. developers to develop the iPhone applications but also makes the iPhone stronger by addition of features.

The popularity of the iPhone is soaring and this is obvious from the increase in the sales. This means that the number of the users trying to access the internet through the iPhone is also increasing. The websites need to be compatible with the operating system and the platform of the iPhone to be accessible by the iPhone user's market segment.

The software development kit (SDK) provided by the Apple Inc. is one of the main resources for iPhone application development. It is easy to use but experience and in depth knowledge makes a lot of difference.

One can either develop the iPhone application without any professional assistance or get it done through someone else. The latter option is usually preferred, especially when the application owner is either running short of time, manpower or sufficient technical expertise. The latter option includes getting an application developed in the USA or outsourcing it to countries like India. When out sourcing the iPhone app. development to India one can be assured of affordable expenses, technically adept personnel at work and best use of time. When it is night in the USA it is day in India. So one can make the best use of time and get the application developed within the shortest possible time.

The market of iPhone App. Development is growing exponentially and availing the services of a professional adept iPhone Application Development Company becomes inevitable.

Source: EzineArticles

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Grouptime IPhone App Offers Instant Group Messaging, Sharing And Status Updates

Grouptime GmbH today launched its unique social messenger for mobile devices. The free messaging app allows users to text, group chat and privately share with the people and groups in their life at absolutely no charge. grouptime is the only messenger that works with posts like a social network and enables users to easily exchange messages and instantly share with groups with one click. The free app lets users send unlimited text, photo, audio and location messages, and post status updates and receive comments in real-time. grouptime is the new app to communicate, share and get together with family, friends and colleagues.

iPhone App Development
The idea for grouptime is based on the limited capabilities of SMS/MMS and other mobile messaging solutions as well as the increasing privacy concerns with social networks. “For many users – especially for teens and young adults – texting is the most important feature of a mobile phone. However, until now it wasn’t possible to post status updates, perform group chats and share multimedia content with contacts or groups of your choice instantly via your mobile device”, said Tobias Stepan, managing director of grouptime GmbH. “Our free app offers users the combined benefits of texting, group chat and social networking with the people from their mobile address book at absolutely no charge.” Unlike other messengers, grouptime operates with posts like a social network and while the app has a simplified user-interface to make messaging as easy and fast as possible, the messenger has extensive privacy features to ensure that it is a private place to communicate and content is shared exclusively with the people intended.

Like SMS, grouptime sends push-notifications to immediately inform users of new personal or group messages. However, contrary to SMS, the free app utilizes the data connection of a smartphone and thus eliminates all texting related costs. For teenagers and young adults, who often send more than 50 text messages a day, this means huge savings. Besides, the free messaging service integrates directly into the mobile phone’s address book, saving users the time they normally require to manually connect with people and find friends with traditional messengers or social networks. Users only need to download the free app for their smartphone and are set to go. The grouptime messenger is now available as a free download for iPhone/iPod/iPad in Apple’s iTunes app store. An Android app will be launched soon.

Source: dailymarkets

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Why Outsource iPhone Application Development ?

There is a rage for iPhone application development these days. Throughout the world, iPhone development is seen as benchmark for both mobile applications as well as marketing. iPhone developers are finding their hands full of ever challenging projects. One of the major challenges for iPhone developers around the world is to develop robust applications, which match with the multi-touch screen, accelerometer, and virtual keyboard features of the iPhone.

Outsource iPhone development seems to have become the choice for most corporate houses and other organizations. There are hundreds of freelance developers and established companies, which work in the niche area of iPhone application. The advantages are many for these business entities when they outsource their iPhone project to these offshore centers.
iPhone application development

Advantages of Outsourcing iPhone Development
  • iPhone developers have expertise over application development. Working on varied genres of application each day, gives them thorough knowledge about the development of applications. They not only cater to your custom projects but also suggest minor alterations, which can make your app better.
  • Emerging markets around the world have become the favorite destination for businesses when it comes to iPhone. These places provide a huge cost advantage owing to the low labor cost. It helps in developing iPhone applications at fraction of the cost than the first world countries.
  • Most small and medium businesses do not need dedicated developers under their payrolls, as it doesn't make economic sense. You can easily outsource your projects to freelancers or offshore development centers and hire these developers based on your project needs.
  • The low cost of development also allows companies to regularly develop newer applications or modify the present ones to promote their products or services. You can get more applications within the same budget.
  • You will have the option to choose among niche developers. In case you want to develop application related to social networking or a specific search tool, you can hire the services of freelancers or organization, which specialize in these domains.
  • Along with development, these offshore centers also offer you support services. In case you encounter any problem with your app, you can easily reach out to these centers, which give you instant support.
  • You will get time to focus on your core area of business rather than worrying about the iPhone development as you will be getting regular work reports and status of development from the organization or freelancer whom you have outsourced to.
These advantages make outsource iPhone application development a win-win situation for both the iPhone developers as well as companies outsourcing the same. Unless you are, a big organization with day-to-day development needs, outsourcing is the ideal mode for you.

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iPhone Application Development - Earn Money Through iPhone App Store

The Internet Revolution! I'm sure you read and heard a lot about it and so I won't list the myriad ways in which it has changed everything. Professionals capable of working independently and creatively have benefited the most from the ubiquity of the internet.

iPhone Application Development
There are so many ways I which you can showcase your talent to the world (or hawk your wares): you can write a novella, self-publish it over Amazon, and if people like it, you will mint money; you can post a funny video over YouTube (or start you own 'Channel'), and using nothing more than your skills and ingenuity, find fame and fortune; or you can use your iPhone application development skills, sell your app(s) in the Apple App Store, and buy that yacht you'd always wanted!

Over 2 billion apps are downloaded from the iPhone App Store every year, and as the sales of iPhones continues to rise and more people start using iPhone, the demand for iPhone apps will increase. iPhone apps are constantly making the news and they are one of the prime reasons for the success of iPhones. Experts predicts that 3G smartphones which offer all the facilities of internet will replace PCs and laptops, and apps are the things that make it easier for the users to use their smartphones in lieu of computers: the market for apps is huge, and it will only grow further over time.

Do you have creativity, talent and innovative ideas? There are school students out there who are making serious money developing iPhone apps and selling them using the iPhone app store. Do you think you have the app idea of the decade? You don't necessarily have to have a scientific and technical mind to gain success at iPhone application development: all you need is an idea and the ability to transform it into reality.

The best thing is that there are a number of free tutorials and SDKs available on the Internet; you can use download them for free and learn how to develop apps for iPhone apps. You might need t invest some time to study how to develop the best apps, and then how to market them over the net, but thereafter your creative ideas will take you far.

Even if you are not good at logic and math and programming is just not for you, you can still take help from professionals and pay iPhone developers to develop an app based on your idea. If your idea is really good, you could convince them to work for royalty from the sales of the app. And if your idea is really good and you are sure that the app based on your idea is going to sell like hot cakes, its best to pay the developer upfront and have complete control over all the profits on your iPhone app!

Once the app is ready, you just need to follow the simple guidelines on the iPhone app development store and list your app on the list of available apps. But there are millions of apps on the iPhone app store, and so you will need to do things to get publicity for your apps: get a website in the name of the app, try and make someone do a piece about in a magazine, keep your fingers crossed, and wait for the world to wake up to the proof of your genius!

Source: ezinearticles

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Choosing the Appropriate iPhone Application Development Firm

The popularity of iPhone is increasing exponentially. The features of the iPhone enable the user of the iPhone to access the internet as well as other array of facilities. When the number of iPhone is increasing such rapidly there is a formation of another market segment. It is becoming necessary for the businesses to recognize this market segment and make their websites compatible with the iPhone. There are many businesses that are now flocking to get the iPhone app developed. The demand of iPhone app development is increasing. Seeing to this demand, a number of software companies have now started offering iPhone app development services.

Such is the market that now it is becoming difficult to choose the best application developer. Following are some of the tips to make this task a bit easy.
iPhone Application Development

Does the developer have any prior experience of developing applications? This question is of prime importance because it is experience that makes big difference. If the application developer does not have any prior experience of developing application for that particular industry, the team of developers may take a longer time to understand and meet to the expectations of the one who has placed the order. The experience reduces a lot of risk and saves time, money and energy.

What is the best quote?

Sometimes the application developer may quote a very less price while there are some who may quote exorbitant prices. One should study the package and study whether the services offered in the package justify the price quotes. It is possible that a set of services may be quoted higher by one firm and lower by another firm. This difference may be due difference in experience and technically expertise of the many power. It is also possible that a firm may quote higher to cover the infrastructure expenses. An application development firm may quote lower price just because it is a new entrant to the market and it may want to create a niche in the market. The best way to find the best quote is to seek the quotations from different service providers and compare the services and the price.

Is the service provider professional?

The best answer to this question can be got from the testimonials and feedback from the earlier clients of that service provider. No matter how big is the company, it should be able to facilitate the client with a dedicated team of application developers. The company should be able to develop the applications that are compatible with the operating system and platform of the iPhone. The company should be able to provide special attention to the application.

Choosing the appropriate iPhone application development company is the key to a successful application and growth of business.

Source: EzineArticles

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iPad continues to drive growth of media tablet shipments

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and e-Reader Tracker, media tablet shipments have increased worldwide by almost 90 per cent on a sequential basis, and year over year by about 300 per cent in the second calendar quarter of 2011 to 13.6 million units. Because of the strong performance that leads to a positive outlook for the gadget for the second half of the year, IDC made a forecast of 62.5 million units being shipped all over the world. This projection is definitely higher than the previous forecast of 53.5 million units.

iPad Development
The shipments of media tablets in the second quarter increased because of the continued robust demand for the iPad 2. Apple’s iPad 2 shipments reached 9.3 million units which represents 68.3 per cent of the worldwide market, a 2.6 per cent increase from 65.7 per cent of the previous quarter. Apple’s continued competitiveness and RIM’s introduction of their very own media tablet brought chagrin to the Android-based media tablets, whose shares slipped down from 34.0 per cent to 26.8 per cent. Competition’s getting real tough nowadays, isn’t it?

IDC is expecting that Android will yield additional market share in the third quarter of 2011 before it begins growing its share once again in the fourth quarter. IDC also expects continued demand for Apple iPads and Touchpads pegged at $99. Before the end of the year, TouchPad shipment is seen to be close to around a million units. WebOS’s worldwide market share will reach 7.4 per cent in the third quarter of 2011.

According to Mobile Connected Devices research director Tom Mainelli, the strong demand for Apple products has driven the growth of media tablet shipments in the second quarter. He added that shipments will continue to increase in the latter half of the year because more Android manufacturers will introduce more price-competitive products into the market while Apple strives to retain its reign.

Jennifer Song, a research analyst at the Worldwide Trackers expounded that Apple’s iOS share will maintain its lead by more than 40 per cent over Google’s Android for the rest of this year, but its share will fall closer to 50 per cent by the end of the forecast period due to the new tablets which will be rolled out by manufacturers.

The second quarter experienced a seasonal downfall for the e-Readers. Amazon led the market with its 51.7 per cent share; Barnes and Noble came in at second with 21.2 per cent. IDC expects growth in e-Reader shipments through the holiday season. Mainelli said that we must anticipate sellers to bring down the prices of their current generation black-and-white eReaders by the holidays in order to entice more potential customers. Amazon’s rumored color LCD-based device is also expected to be shipped within this year.

Source: mobilemag

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iPhone Application Development - Latest in Technological Evolution

 Apple Inc., the manufacturer of iPhone has taken the mobile industry and the information technology industry by a storm, thanks to iPhone app development. The earlier mobile devices were only equipped to send SMS, MMS and play a bit of games. Latest phones, especially the iPhones facilitate the user with accessibility to the internet too. Now when the internet is accessible through the iPhone, it is obvious that the user of iPhone will not carry a laptop. A mobile phone device is any time much easy to carry than the comparatively larger laptop.

The number of iPhone users has been increasing by leaps and bounds. This is just because it includes features like web browser, soft touch screen, big screen, calling, voice messaging, text messaging, 2 Megapixel Camera, increased memory, medial player, sleek body, and latest design. The iPhone applications add powerful features to the mobile device.
iPhone Application Development

Apple Inc. is known for its marketing strategies too. The company knows very well that more the iPhone applications more the utility of the phone. The iPhone can be made popular just by adding more application to it so that its demand increases and consequently the sales can also increase.

Apple Inc. has started Apple Store. This online store offers services to both the application makers as well as buyers. When the application maker submits the application to be sold, 70% of the proceeds go to the developer but a mere 20% of it is retained by Apple Store. This motivates the application developers to create as many applications as possible.

The application developed needs to be compatible with the Android platform. The application has to be clear and legible because the screen of the mobile phone is smaller than that of the laptop. The resolutions of the image needs to higher. The application should be void of the scroll bar because the application user may find it irritating at time to scroll vertically and horizontally to access the details.

The application maker needs to be technically very sound so that the application works efficiently and effectively on the user's device. The developer and at times the business owner needs to also study the cost effectiveness of the application. The application should neither be very costly nor copied. Either of this is going to lead to waste of time, money and resources. So a study prior to initiating the iPhone application development is necessary.

The iPhone application development is going to become compulsory especially for those who want to sell their goods or services through the internet. One should get in touch with an experienced and professional iPhone developer to get the iPhone application developed. iPhone applications can enhance the business and take it new heights.

Source : ezinearticles

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