Author Archive: henry

First let’s discuss the reason for texting’s incredible popularity! One of the greatest reasons is probably that you are able to talk to, or contact a person immaterial of their or your location, time of day, at work in a meeting, walking down the street, your doctor or specialist while in surgery, areas with poor cell phone coverage. Teens are the main drive behind the surge in texting, with 13 to 17-year-olds averaging around 1750 texts per month while conversing by phone approximately 230 times a month. Tweens i.e. kids under age 12 averages 430 text a month

According to an Ofcom market report, adults in Britain average at around 200 texts monthly, in excess of double the figure from four years ago, 58% of British adults make use of text messaging a minimum of once a day, mostly for communication with friends and family. In the US, American Airlines are now texting their passengers to inform them of flight delays, and the NYPD also prefers to use texting in order to check license plates, instead of the relatively bulky computers available to them while on the road. Any single platform texting app would, due to its social nature, be close to useless if it was confined to only one type of operating system. Due to each person’s individual tastes and specific requirements that might be best met outside of the two major platform suppliers – Android & iOS. These reasons are the main drive why we considered only cross-platform apps, because our associates, friends, and family quite often prefers a different platform!

WhatsApp, available on iOS, Android, and WP8, the app has always been remarkably easy to set up and automatically syncs with the user’s contact list to offer an ad free, feature rich experience. Featuring abilities to handle texting, photo sharing and in app camera, VoIP, voice messages, as well as short video messages, to provide a full rich experience, which made it the most subscribed app worldwide!

Blackberry Messenger lately available to iOS, Android, arrived on the two major platforms after a protracted struggle by BlackBerry to keep their proprietary app contained to its own ecosystem. The company finally relented, releasing into iOS and Android during 2013, to offer a robust IM app offering free texting, VoIP, photo & file & and location sharing, with its PIN system protecting subscribers email and telephone numbers.

Facebook Messenger available for iOS and Android is a dedicated IM app, building on its existing Facebook chat network while adding mobile texting features. The user’s Facebook account signs them in to offer texting, voice messaging, and voice calls.

Skype a highly trusted standby, already long available to WP8, Android, and iOS users, it first became famous for its voice and video call conferencing capabilities. The app now boasts a fairly decent IM that presents users with texting, photo sharing, and short video messages, even when other user is off-line. With the added capability of making paid call using Skype credits calls to landline as well as mobile numbers.

As portable devices such as iPads and iPhones have become essential tools and in part extensions of ourselves and our daily lives, containing sensitive essential financial and highly confidential personal information, security of these devices and the data the hold have become of paramount importance. The security of these devices does not extend only to protecting the data they contain from electronic theft, but also to the physical security of the device itself, being Mobile by nature and the devices themselves quite valuable they’ve become sought after targets for petty thieves. That broadly outlines the reason why the market has been overrun by a plethora of security apps specialized for mobile devices like iPhones and iPads. The best of these apps go a long way towards securing these personal electronic extensions of ourselves.

The best of the breed for the Apple protection stable is contained in the following apps, the first app 1PasswordLock is one of the most popular currently around and possesses fantastic levels of security to protect you and yours on an electronic level. With a clear user-friendly, simplified, easy-to-use UI the app will generate high-level security passwords and your accounts can be split based on type offering easy individual management.

The second security beast, mSecure, offers the secure management of passwords with additional features like auto-fill and group sync, in addition presents a sleek slimmed down app that does not weigh down the performance on your device get still presents admirable security.

Lookout has been a trusty standby for years and works nearly the same manner as the Apple Find My iPhone app. It has the ability to track your devices via GPS offering capacity of finding your last iPhone while the web by allowing you to utilise your personal Lookout.com account. It can force your iPhone to ring continuously via the web browser and will send a message to the phone. It offers several additional features that does not come with the Apple app i.e. Lookout will automatically save your phone’ s last known position before running out of battery or being switched off and additionally backup your contacts for emergency use, it can also lock and completely wipe your phone.

Find My iPhone is the stock Apple GPS tracking app and offers the best tracking and security features by far such as the ability to remotely control your phone and forcing your phone to raise an alarm as well as erasing all your personal data before any possible misuse could occur. Tracking is similar to that of the Lookout app.

Best Phone Security Pro protects the user’s iPhone from any potential unauthorized access, offering a passcode lock similar to the iOS 7 passcode. The main difference with this app in control, persons trying to access a protected iPhone or warned-off by an alarm that cannot controlled from the phone at that moment offering the ability for personal recording of the alarm including taking a photo of the potential perpetrator if they attempt to enter an incorrect pass code.

Foscam Surveillance Pro gives the user the capacity to become the surveillance guy manning his own cameras, offering the user the ability to monitor up to 6 live IP cameras set up in locations of his choice and then receive and record live feed from them. If a Foscam IP camera is used, the user could even control its movement, providing cheap and easy solutions to small warehouses and offices.

A continual debate has been raging regarding the necessity of antivirus and anti-malware apps since the advent of the first smartphones, considering that over and above millions of viruses written specifically to target android devices there are currently over 4500 kinds of malware that specifically target android apps and devices.

Out of 31 tested apps, 18 scored a 100% detection rate in a series of tests conducted during March 2014 by AV-Test clearly illustrating the level of improvement in device and data protection offered by the current crop of security apps. 360 Security, developed by one of the major players in China, Qihu exploded into the market and scored close to flawless detection rate of 99.9% in the September 2013 AV-Test, recording an all-time high for any tested security app and followed it up in March 2014 so 100% detection rate. The latest version offers loads of extras including a power saver, junk file cleaner, memory booster, privacy encryption tool, app manager, as well as anti-theft and location tools of the option of remotely wiping and your phone.

Avast! Mobile Security offers a truly free application for android platforms, featuring a comprehensive range of defensive tools and that would include antivirus protection, monitoring & scanning of app details and their purpose, a URL scanning Web Shield for malware protection. This ESET Mobile Antivirus & Security, represents a relative newcomer to top end protection earning its place with a 100% protection and detection rate in the last report from AV-Test sporting an intuitive interface. A fully free app with real-time detection and scanning capabilities against malware and potentially unwanted programs that could be pilfering data in the background, or make illegal premium rate calls or send illegal text.

Avira Antivirus Security is another major player in the freeware stakes managing to score a 100% detection rate with no false positives; it also is one of those welcome apps with light and tiny footprint with a minimal impact on device performance. The app sports minimalist design and sleek appearance fitting in well on the android platform. AVL, many users demand malware and anti-viral protection in the most barebones manner possible, this app is for those without the need for anti-theft tools, identity protection, but definitely requires the strongest malware protection without any superfluous or extraneous features that fill up the majority of security apps then AVL will be the perfect partner for your device protection.

The top-most downloaded camera app in 2015 for android called Camera51 initially developed to guide those of us severely challenged by our photographic skills by guiding you to achieve perfect photo framing. After this amazing apps introduction late in 2014 its popularity grew in leaps and bounds to boast with over 1 million downloads registered within just a couple of months since its launch, storming on through the popularity stakes to become the most downloaded camera app on Google Play during 2015, and is now available on Apple Store as well.

Users generally award the app very high ratings, commenting on its ease-of-use. It analyses everything within the photo frame before you trigger your shot and then guides you via a highly intuitive interface to produce the best possible photo composition, immaterial of it being a landscape, a selfie, or even a group picture. As an example of the sophistication of the app algorithms in selfie’s it will center up a photo and automatically take the photo as soon as the app is satisfied without waiting for the user to click the button. Eliminating the potential ensuing camera shake while fumbling or reaching for the shutter button with the resultant blurred or out of focus photos so commonly seen in selfies, also offering support for multiple people’s faces in selfie’s. It automatically reverts to manual triggering of the shutter button as soon as the use the main rear-facing camera.

In day-to-day use, the software decisions appear to be pretty solid and logical, making life for novices or quick point-and-shoot photographs with mobile devices much quicker and easier, while still allowing more experienced shooters to frame photos for themselves. All its photos remain saved in your camera roll for later uploading to photo editors or social media sites, also allowing for instant uploading to social media sites or a host of other multimedia sharing options.

It happens to us all where we would give anything to see an important live television news bulletin or the dying moments at the end of a match during a major sporting event but we are nowhere near a television. The Sling TV app available on all smart phone platforms provide an easy answer to this conundrum, where life and business forces us to miss events that we waited a year or even years to see.

The great news this app and the service provided by it is inexpensive offers excellent picture quality at whatever speed and frame rate your handset can deliver. It also offers a quite useful 3-Day replay, along with a very useful Start Over feature available on several television channels, it offers few downsides other than a slightly limited selection of available channels and no DVR function and the fact that it’s only in available inside the US.

The inexpensive TV app works on just about any smart device at whatever resolution you prefer, limited only by your device and available bandwidth at your location.
The most often heard request from television cable subscribers have always been a choose and pay per viewing facility, whereby the user or subscriber within choose the channels they wish to subscribe to and either pay less or more according to personal choice. Since the advent of Netflix and its alternative streaming video service providers their subscribers have asked a similar question why can they not receive live television by the same streaming video service provider.

Sling TV and parent Dish Network are now attempting to provide the answer to such a service, and the answer is a resoundingly successful – YES THEY CAN!! Their Sling TV app is available from $20 a month with additional add-on packs providing more channels available at an added $5 per channel!

This brilliant app developed for the health-conscious represents one of the best running and cycling apps available for android or iOS. It is fully featured presenting users with an excellent interface the app supports Bluetooth connectivity as well as ANT+ ancillary devices for instance heart rate monitors or GPS devices.

Having built up a reputation for accuracy in its mapping and GPS functions as well as heart rate monitor recordings, being a freemium offering all functions are not available on the free version, for full functionality a subscription is required. The app has just a few downsides, the first being limited in app privacy controls and the second is that goal tracking is restricted only to premium/subscribed members. Any cyclist or runner that thrives on the competitive spirit would love would love Strava, premium members are able to compete with other users on their database. The site the site software provides the app with data from other subscribers including females and males so that they can compare and compete against top athletes and or friends at both amateur as well as professional levels.

The app having recently undergone a major overall and re-release that improved it even further, the company is fully involved globally in a multitude of different types of sports at top international levels. Their involvement enables them to improve and further develop on it continuously progressive level to maintain the app’s position at the forefront of technological advancement at all times. Generally it’s main focus is on runners and cyclists, but can be used for any form of bipedal activity like walking, hiking or other forms of activity such as swimming, skiing, ice skating or in-line, surfing, crossfit, boating, stand up paddling, rock climbing, and a multitude of gym activities such as stair-stepper, yoga, elliptical, weight training, and cardio workouts.

It’s absolute versatility in all forms of physical activities, accuracy of its data, together with its continual development makes it a perfect companion to improve your lifestyle! Consider this app if cycling is part of your exercise regime.

WhatsApp Messenger is a global success story with over 700 million active monthly users it is the most used instant messaging app worldwide irrespective of mobile platform. The prominent mobile messenger enjoys a particularly strong reach in in the United States and is even more popular in markets other than the US.

Facebook acquired this app for US$19 billion during February 2014. The app can ascribe its popularity to several factors that include options like its easy signup, its VoIP voice call capability, an option to backup all app information to cloud, it eliminates any requirement for an additional texting plan, easy and simple device migration, and fully customisable chat windows. No app is perfect however the app lacks desktop functionality, a relatively inelegant design, no video chat facility, and it is linked to a single phone number and device at a time this last feature however is also a positive as it lends itself towards additional security. In addition, any new subscribers will find their complete contact list with persons already on WhatsApp fully loaded within seconds after the completion of signing up. Any newby to WhatsApp will find they already have a multitude of the friends subscribe to the brilliant app, which to a great extent would negate any further needs for additional mobile texting plans.

The app however faces stiff competition since mobile messaging exploded in recent years, with all kinds of apps available for every kind of messaging imaginable from sultry, to public, to secret, to subversive. Due to the explosion in IMs mobile industry leaders like Facebook and Twitter jumped on improving their offering, with the owners of WhatsApp Facebook’s Messenger currently featured in second place behind their own Whatsapp in the popularity stakes globally.

In the course of the past year Google’s Play store more than doubled the number of available apps on offer from the leading android app provider, the proliferation of new apps can cater for its worldwide audience’s every need. Whilst Google has done an incredible job of advertising and keeping the best as well as new products on the storefront where it easy for players to access and brought to the attention without intensive searching, there are still just to greater variety to keep each and every great one where it deserves to be.

With 1.6 million apps currently listed in their store it is very difficult for players to ascertain the best apps available despite entertaining their product offerings in categories that differentiate new apps, top apps, free apps, editor’s picks, and a multitude of other categories to try and ease a potential downloader’s plight of finding the correct app for his purposes. For the past nine years this choice has been easy insofar as best media app for android users, that title has for nine years belong to Spotify. Spotify comes offered in two versions a free version as well as a premium version that requires a subscription. It’s free version is a stripped down playlist/radio combination that require good music without having to resort to paying hefty prices for it. Spotify offers a swanky UI that outdoes nearly every other media app on the market, to the extent that it’s functionality has more in common with desktop media and mobiles.

In its premium offering all annoying adverts dropped, the audio quality is improved, joined by additional offerings like off-line play, if you’re a music lover it definitely is worth shelling out on a subscription to the premium version. The app has gained itself an incredible awareness amongst music lovers and android users in general, the app virtually demands players to create and build their playlists while sharing your own creations with others immaterial of whether the original music belongs to Windows or iTunes.
All users I tried it out fell in love with it virtually instantaneously.

Apple has finally after a number of years in silent development revealed that they will soon have an Apple counter for Google Now, will feature a deep iOS 9 search engine, a Siri API, as well as Augmented Reality Maps.

The iPhone company has finally made it known they are nearly ready with an advanced new iOS initiative going under the codename Proactive, the new software would be able to leverage Passbook, Siri, Contacts, Calendar and most third-party apps thereby creating a viable and worthy competitor Google Now service available on android smart devices. Proactive aims to deliver timely information in a fully automated fashion based purely on any user’s device and data usage while respecting each user’s device privacy settings.

Proactive is born as an iOS, Spotlight search feature, evolution finally becoming a reality after visionary long-term solution involving acquisitions of several developers specializing in small apps as well as a skilful integration of iOS’s core apps. Once again based on user preference and data usage it will be able to manipulate Apple maps, displaying points relevant to the user in his day-to-day activities, or while travelling points of interest nearby as he travels, done by utilising the augmented reality interface and full integration with Breadcrumbs as Siri third party API.

Proactive’s initial groundwork laid in 2013, started with an Apple acquisition of a third-party app called Cue, a personal assistant app to ease the relevant and very necessary broadening of Safari and Spotlight search results. IPhone aficionados first felt the first taste of Apple’s Proactive initiative when iOS 8 displayed the ability to offer Wikipedia search results from a Spotlight search. Proactive was in part a result of Apple’s drive to become less reliant on Google with sources reporting iOS usage stats indicating that Google requirements have dropped since iOS 8 launched last fall.

Apple wishes to elevate Proactive advancement a further level and hopefully shall do so with the introduction of iOS 9 at the World Developers Conference on 8 June 2015.

Apple’s revelation at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference made all mobile advertising publishers sit up and take notice, their undivided attention was demanded by Apple’s announcement of powerful ad blocking browser extensions introduced as part of their native Safari browser that comes loaded with the company’s new iOS 9. The potential future calamity for ad publishers first surfaced a week ago when developers uncovered the Apple provision in their technical documentation released after the introduction of iOS 9 at WDC 2015.

IPhone users have never been offered the option to completely block any and all digital advertising in its native browser before, the functionality was only available to them via browsers other than Safari. The news caused serious concern within the publishing industry since about 55% of Apple users continue using the native Safari browser to access all their web content. Josh Brenton, Nieman Journalism Lab Director at Harvard University, expressed his concern stating that it was worrisome since publishers already earned tiny dollars from mobile, since most of their readers moved to its digital news format in massive numbers. Considering that over 50% of the New York Times on-line subscribers would access this publication using one form or another of mobile device. However, current quantities and forms of mobile digital advertising only generate 10% of the news agency’s revenue from digital advertising.

The new-found iPhone user control over digital advertising could purportedly be debilitating to digital publishers. With the common response from within the digital advertising community being that the Safari ad blocker support comes as terrible news not just for advertisers, but also includes media and publishing organisations according to John Carroll, Prof of mass media communications at Boston University. Apple’s support whereby they allow their own developers to extend user control to its current extent allows Apple to tap into very popular current trends, but Apple’s motives might just involve its drive to become less dependent on Google.