Articles

In General Articles

Is Big Brother Listening In?

There have been hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of words written over the last few weeks about the leaked information that claims the National Security Agency (NSA) had made arrangements with major telephone service providers in the United States and Great Britain in order to sift through communications records in the name of anti-terrorist efforts. The man responsible for the leaks, former NSA tech analyst Edward Snowden, has been called everything from a hero to a traitor, and is the...

Read more...

In General Articles

The BIG-Dollar Business of Mobile App Acquisitions

If you've followed the high-tech news recently, you've no doubt read about some pretty impressive mobile application acquisition deals that have taken place. Take Nick D'Alosio, a 17-year-old student in England who developed a news-reading application called Summly at the ripe old age of 15. Even before graduating high school, D'Alosio sold Summly to Yahoo for what industry insiders are estimating could be as much as $30 million. Then there's Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom, who sold his...

Read more...

In General Articles

Mobile Applications and Niche Markets

When developing a new mobile application, it's a completely natural impulse for you to want to market it to the largest audience possible. The more people who see your app and like it can translate to better word-of-mouth and potential for profitability. Everyone wants to generate demand for their apps, and everyone wants to create the next “Angry Birds.” And that's all well and good. However, in this article we'd like to submit for your approval (in the words of Rod Serling) the potential of...

Read more...

In General Articles

Can I Market My App Outside the Apps Stores?

It's almost a given that once you have a mobile app created, you have to get it listed in Apple's Apps Store or Google Play in order for it to do well at all. These stores—and others directly associated with apps created for a specific mobile operating system—have a built-in customer base and offer marketing and exposure opportunities that can be difficult for an app owner to find otherwise. However, a lot of folks balk at the thought of having to pay 30% off the top of an app's profit in order...

Read more...

In General Articles

Enterprise Mobile Applications: Some of Your Business

As mobile computing technology assumes a steadily larger role in modern society, its lingo finds a way into our consciousness, as well. For example, smartphone and tablet owners know what applications are; after all, we come in contact with these handy little programs on an almost daily basis. Types of applications are pretty easy to understand, too, such as games, utility and educational apps. But we've found that when we mention enterprise applications, we're often given a curious look and...

Read more...

In General Articles

How Are Apple Developer Accounts Established?

We've pointed out in several of our articles how important it is to have an iPhone or iPad app listed in the Apple Apps Store. The exposure such a listing offers is crucial to an app's success. In order to be able to submit apps to Apple, one must also have an Apple developer account. We've been asked, what's the process? How does one become an Apple developer? Is there a special handshake, a secret decoder ring, or what? Well, today we're gonna share with you what it takes to become an Apple...

Read more...

In General Articles

Which Mobile Application Types are More Popular, and Why?

We often get asked which apps are the most popular. This is a difficult question to ask, as there are all sorts of criteria to keep in mind, and the answer can almost literally change from day to day. However, we also get asked which types of apps are more popular, and that question is at least a little bit easier to answer. It's with that question in mind that we'd like to share some statistics and analysis on the most popular categories in the mobile app marketplace today. For simplicity and...

Read more...

In General Articles

Apple vs. BlackBerry: A Developer's Point of View

When it comes to operating systems named after types of fruit, Apple and BlackBerry are without a doubt the top two contenders. Okay, admittedly that was a silly line...but it offers us a nice clean segue into our topic of discussion this time around. We've been asked on occasion that, even though Apple is the bigger player in the mobile market, does that necessarily make it better, from an app developer's point of view? With that question in mind, we'd like to discuss the pros and cons of...

Read more...

In General Articles

A Peek Through the Google Glass

If you've been following the tech industry lately, you've no doubt heard of Google Glass. (Many of us have made the mistake of calling them “Google Glasses;” after all, they look like a pair of spectacles. But Google reminds us often that it's “Google Glass,” singular.) Google's counting on their new gadget to be the vanguard for wearable augmented reality. Though it hasn't been released to the general public yet, the press surrounding it has been getting a lot of attention. Basically, when...

Read more...

In General Articles

Social Media Marketing For Mobile Applications

When we brainstorm with our app development partners, we always emphasize the importance of marketing once the app is launched—and even beforehand, for your marketing strategy needs to be kept in mind throughout the app creation process. We also like to recommend the use of social media as an integral part of marketing, because it can be both inexpensive and effective. In fact, with just a little extra legwork on your part, social media marketing for your mobile app takes as little as...

Read more...

In General Articles

iOS 7 on the Way!

As anticipated, Apple recently released the details of iOS 7, its new mobile operating system for devices like the iPhone and iPad. There was a lot of press preceding their announcement at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2013), and there's been even more since. Since iOS 7 will directly affect the mobile app development world, we thought we'd take a look at what's under its electronic hood. First, a word about design, especially since Apple's overall mobile look has gone...

Read more...

In General Articles

What Can We Expect at WWDC 2013?

The eyes and ears of the iPhone and iPad application development world will be trained on California soon, as Apple holds their annual Worldwide Developers Conference in the Moscone Center in San Francisco from June 10th to the 14th. Apple likes to play coy when it comes to details; they love the buildup and anticipation preceding the introduction of new hardware and software. Even though they haven't given us much to go on, that doesn't stop folks in the industry from making a few educated...

Read more...

In General Articles

Curative Computing and The App World

Before we jump into a discussion of curative computing and applications, we thought it would be best to take a step back and work on an easy-to-understand layperson's definition. When most people hear the word “curator,” it conjures up images of someone at a museum who sorts through all the artifacts and items they have in their inventory and decides which ones will be put on public display. Curative computing follows along those same lines. As Wired.com reported at the time, the term was...

Read more...

In General Articles

The Who, What And Where Of Apple WWDC 2013

The planners of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) are putting on the finishing touches as they gear up for WWDC 2013, set to be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from June 10th through the 14th. As always, iPhone and iPad app developers from around the world—even those who aren't attending—will be paying close attention to the topics and trends discussed there, and Appvisors will be no exception. As has been the tradition at WWDC in prior years, Apple will be delivering...

Read more...

In General Articles

IOS 7 Rollout at Apple WWDC 2013

And let the speculating begin Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2013) kicks off on June 10th, and goes through the 14th, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. That's what we know, and it's just about all Apple's gonna tell anyone until their kickoff keynote presentation at 10 AM PDT on the 10th. As is their custom, Apple likes to hold their cards close to the vest, and this year they'll do their level best to plug any leaks and keep people wondering until the conference. We...

Read more...

In General Articles

Measuring Your Apps Success

It's the moment of truth: your mobile app's been released to the public, and it's time to see how well all your hard work is gonna pay off. As the information related to your app's performance trickles in, there's a ton of data to analyze. That information not only tells you what's going right with your app, but can also give you hints as to what might need to be adjusted to make it even better. There are those who are more than content to check their app's number of downloads and convert...

Read more...

In General Articles

PC'S vs. Tablet Computers: And The Winner Is......

It wasn't all that long ago that tablet computers were considered a novelty, a new tech toy, a diversion. There's a period—a very tense one for those who have a stake in new technology—when the public takes its time and collectively votes yea or nay on embracing the new tech. By this process, 8-tracks give way to cassettes, vinyl albums were overtaken by compact discs (which in turn are now challenged by MP3's), and videotapes lost their market to DVDs. The introductory period for tablet...

Read more...

In General Articles

What Features Are Possible In a Mobile App?

One of the most common questions we're asked here at AppsAustin is: “What features are available in a mobile app?” We're glad you asked! We won't waste time in getting right down to it, either, for there are a lot of features we offer. We've broken it down into the six major categories below. As you read, keep your eye out for an asterisk (*) next to the feature name; that indicates the item is among the current most popular features in apps. 1. Social Media.These features work with...

Read more...

In General Articles

Apple vs. Android Mobile Market Share

In the mobile device marketplace, even those outside the industry can tell you who the top two players are. Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems have a commanding lead both in the United States and around the world. We'd like to take a moment and go over the numbers in the bustling mobile market. It might come as a surprise to some folks that Apple is no longer number one in the smartphone market. While it's true that Apple markets aggressively, and has their own chain of stores...

Read more...

In General Articles

Where The Mobile Markets Been & Where It's Going

To call the mobile device market “active” might be the understatement of the year. At Appvisors, it's our job to keep up with all the changes, and we thought we'd share with you the developments over the last few years, and what new trends are on the horizon. We'll start with a quick list of trends that have dominated the industry over the past few years: 1. Android Versions. Whereas Apple's iOS is limited to Apple devices, Google's Android system covers a broad spectrum. Since it's open...

Read more...