Archive for the ‘iPhone’ category

The New Features of iOS 6.1 and the Progressive Apple World

December 18th, 2012

iOS 6.1 has arrived with a bang with incredible new features. Here is an overview of some of them.

The iOS 6.1 beta has been talked about everywhere since analysts are of the opinion that the new features are many and good enough for the new version. It has been revealed by many tech magazines with Apple’s upcoming update which was expected for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

One of the magazines discovered several new features within a recent update  with Apple’s mobile devices. The beta version gives a taste of what iOS 6.1 has to offer and would be more aboard the update because of the new features. One of the big new features of iOS 6.1 includes the features which will leap through the UI concepts around the place. Before, iPhone and iPad one could check movie times but one could not insert memory cards more than 32 GB since they were not scalable externally. Not all features were greeted by applause and cheers, but most users loved the new platform.

Apple Maps is now better with less bugs and more presence with iOS 6.1.The location search has been improved from the version 6.0 and now it feels less jerky to use them. Now 6.1 does have the “Report a Problem” function in Apple Maps where all problems can be sorted out without worrying much. This button was very small and difficult to spot after a user swipes up the screen. Now with the latest version and update, the button to Report a Problem is situated in front and center on the iPhone as well as the iPad. Apple will improve application as time goes by with Apple Maps expected to be targeted for enhancements.

One of the minor cosmetic changes that would be skipped by any company while observing are the lock screen’s music controls which is now spaced out than in iOS 6.0 which would aid in navigation of music a fantastically comfortable experience. A new reflection affect is included now with the volume slider to add to the overall magic. So those features are just the start. There is a possibility that Apple would bring in more features with iOS 6.1 since there is a very good chance of fixing bugs and maintenance operations are performed on the platform in tandem after iOS 6. Those features will likely come to the fore with the beta versions of the software. iOS Developers are excited with the new platform and one can even watch movies by commanding Siri with their voice.

iOS 6.1 boasts Siri enhancements with specific quotes like “three tickets to see Toy Story 3″ which would be acted upon without any glitch. The voice assistant will comply easily and use the Fandango app for taking the user to the purchase menu. Not all theaters are supported through the app but will soon identify compatible theaters with small movie tickets.

As discussed above, iOS 6.1 uses an updated Map Kit framework to perform map-based searches for any points of interest. Another portion is the relevance behaviour for boarding passes which has changed drastically. One needs to have the date matching the passes for being relevantly perfect.

The best iPhone and Android Apps of the Year

November 30th, 2012

Here are some of the best iOS apps:

Camera Awesome
The best new app of 2012 is led by a photo-sharing service which can help in clicking awesome photos. The app is developed by a decade old photo-sharing site SmugMug and is named as Camera Awesome. This app makes us to believe that you can ditch digital cameras any time. The app has automatic leveling features and comprehensive color adjustment options. It also includes many presets and filters for $0.99 for each of them or nearly $10 for all of them. You can share the photos across your social channels including the new Instagram app.

Pocket
The Pocket app is known as the best bookmarking app which is free and was earlier known as Read It Later. It has new features including the ability to view videos and images seamlessly  which is part of its simple and classy interface.

TouchTV
News provider SkyGrid has come up with a new app called the TouchTV, which shows videos from cable networks onto the iPad. TouchTV includes videos of more than 5 minutes from 16 different providers which include hotshots like ESPN, Bloomberg and the like. The app also offers a glimpse of what app-based TV would be like. It is one of the best video discovery services on the iOS platform.

Any.Do
Any.Do finally comes up with an iOS version. The app is backed by Eric Schmidt, Google’s chairman to be one of the best productivity apps every made easily letting the user to complete their tasks with a swipe of a finger. It includes a comprehensive voice-dictation technology which records the words without the need to type manually. One can share lists with friends too.

HomeSnap
HomeSnap is an app which is assisted by augmented reality to help users to know the value of a home by snapping its picture. One can see school information and historical data related to the house too. Although it is not yet wholly reliable, it is efficient enough.

Here are some of the best Android apps of the year:

Flipboard
Flipboard is one of the favorite Android apps and a socially curated magazine which showcases news, photos and status updates. Flipboard is also one of the best ways to read content from third-party publishers on smartphones.

Instagram
Instagrams is one of the best photo-sharing apps which attracted more than 5 million downloads in less than a week. Instagram was later taken up by Facebook; the app has since then achieved cult status and the identity of a true pop-culture sensation.

Google Drive
Google Drive is rated to be a far superior and more cost-effective solution for sharing documents through Dropbox. Many companies rely on Google Docs, so Google Drive can be easily added to the list too. It has dominated the market in the face of ruthless competition from Dropbox.

Airbnb
Airbnb’s is part of the Android family since January and is a vacation-rental marketplace which helps property owners and travelers for sending quick messages. The app has reputed travel recommendations from celebrities like Ashton Kutcher and Jack Dorsey.

Hire iPhone App Programmers and Android Developers from Elan Emerging Technologies a leading iPhone App Development Company provides iPhone Application Development, iPad Application Development and Android App Development services.

Custom iOS app development in business and its far-reaching effects

November 7th, 2012

iOS app development has long been in demand and has resulted in far-reaching effects in the tech world today. The surge of apps is due to the increasing demand and craze for something innovative every time. The iOS trends have started owing to the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) culture that the offices have started employing. This has prompted individual employees to buy their own iPads and iPhones into the office. Many organizations and individuals were surprised by the productivity gains which they saw and many organizations have opted to develop custom business apps for the iOS platform. The most common business uses were taken into account before the development of custom apps. Apps were used for solving specific tasks including inventory management and bill invoicing. There are apps which help in dealing with customer relationship management, as well as research and surveys.

The new hi-tech Austin Convention Center proposed elimination of paper work orders resulting in 200 percent ROI for the tech giant. Similarly, Lee Medical automated its healthcare processes with business apps, which helped in quality of their services and several lives were saved at reduced costs. West Paw Design introduced FileMaker Go for iPad which prompted its entire business to go automated right from the first part of order entry to the final delivery, which saved thousands of dollars on an annual basis. Many organizations are very keen to automate their processes to iOS devices but most of them are stuck on how to implement them cost-effectively. The biggest challenge that many of them face is how to create and update iOS apps for business needs. Organizations need developers who can provide custom iOS application development but the remuneration per hour is huge.

It is good to have a web app which is advertised with mobile browsers. This requires extensive programming with JavaScript and CSS. Such apps lack complete interactivity with native apps and need a steady web connection to run. Additionally, the time and cost involved in the integration of custom apps is huge. Also, there is a strong need to acquire or build custom libraries for much of the functions in an organization including charting, reporting, or even signature capture. It is good to have an alternative which would imply using a platform designed for development and maintenance of custom business apps. One such platform is the popular FileMaker which is actually an Apple subsidiary. Employees expect a lot from the iOS platform and the iPhone experience since Apple is known to be the pioneer of smart design and great quality in smartphones. Its design is pivotal to adoption. The tools need to be easy to use and design. Additionally, the iOS apps need to be simplistic yet comprehensive.

The alternative platform should boast of support to the native iPad and iPhone clients since users will be expecting the same quality which Apple presents. It should have gesture support along with several touchscreen actions such as pinch and zoom, with support for location. A good platform goes far beyond client expectations and mostly offers support for common data exchange APIs along with integration with popular authentication systems. The popularity of the iOS and the supportive devices like the iPad and iPhone are making them essential for boosting business productivity.

iPhone Application Development | iPad Application Development | Android Application Development | iOS Application Development

Custom iPhone App Development and the trends revolving around the App store

October 31st, 2012
iPhone app development is demanded by many companies in the western
world. Also, the trends around iPhone app store are changing too. The
Apple iPhone 4S is a phenomenon now, while the iPhone 5 is ready to be
rolled out by September 21 this year. What makes the phone a must-buy
all the time? Obviously Apple and Steve Jobs have created a brand which
is insurmountable. The high adoption rate of these smartphones is
testimony to the class of the products and its unmatched features. More
than 50% of all US smartphones are iPhones which is continually building
on its earlier success.
But with recent years, demand has been heavy for custom iPhone apps from
the enterprise markets as well as other mobile development companies.
Android-based phone sales have literally doubled over the year while
Windows Phone is trying to make inroads into the market. The App Store
has become increasingly crowded since there are about a million mobile
applications available on the App Store across various categories. To
stand out and make a mark in the App market, it is necessary for
companies to partner an established partner and a development company
which has the right kind of experience and expertise in the field of
mobile app development. It is necessary to look out for competent mobile
development companies who have years of experience in the field as well
as a team of developers who are expert enough to create any type of app
for any domain. The company should have experienced professionals who
are well versed with the iOS 6/iPhone 4S apps along with development of
apps for the iPad, and any other Apple product.
The iPhone 4S SDK development process is difficult for the newbies but
those accustomed to developing apps on the platform will find it easy to
create apps for a wide variety of requirements. The offshore technology
team of mobile app developers and iPhone developers
need to get ahead of the technology curve for being the best. One
should stay ahead of the overall competition for making a mark. Offshore
development companies always try for getting mobile application
developers who are willing to put in extra time and effort for success,
obviously in a mutually beneficial relationship. The biggest advantage
of outsourcing iPhone app development process is that the costs involved
are very less compared to developing apps inhouse. One can see
significant cost reductions and the development time is less too. 
Some of the features of highly successful custom iphone app development companies include:
  • High experience and skilled development team specific to iPhone app development
  • Proven success with app listings in the App store for the series of iPhones as well as iPads and Macs.
  • Cost effective project plans and flexible and scalable pricing models
  • Stringent delivery schedules and tight plans of development
  • Custom iPhone application development including all app functions found in a single roof
Companies which are able to offer apps related to other latest mobile
technologies especially for Android always have more business than a
technology specific app development
company. Apps are always in demand related to the smartphone hardware
features including the accelerometer, GPS, calendar and anything that
needs customization revolving around an enterprise.

Steps to become an iPhone App Developer

October 25th, 2012

Here are some of the profound tips for becoming an iPhone Apps Developer. One of the first steps that you need to do is buy a Mac. A Mac with an Intel-based processor which runs the Leopard version of MacOS X will suit you fine. A top of the range model is not necessary. Any Mac which can afford maneuverability for the developer will be needed. Mac Minis are more than powerful enough and can be serviceable if one already has PCs and a bunch of devices. Mac Minis are good to move around too. Developers can take them home for continuing their work. Owning the SDK is the next step. Apple provides the free SDK which is required for iPhone development and includes that an average developer needs to get going. It includes the development environment Xcode and the iPhone Simulator which is required for testing. There are some performance analyzers too, template-like interface builders and a huge reference library with enough documentation.

The third and one of the most important parts for iPhone app development is to learn Objective C. It is the primary programming language which is required for app development and an extension of C with OOP principles along with scripting elements. Any developer with previous programming experience will find it easy enough to transfer their skills for mobile app development. Apple adopted Objective C which was previously referred as SmallTalk. Since then, it has always used the platform. The best way to pick up the language is when you start with C/C++ and then learn about the APIs of the iPhone and the iPhone developer site is the best source too. The free tutorials on the web can get you help too. The official Apple SDK has good details about various features and one can get clarification on anything. To start out with development, the fourth step is to start writing something. Get a project to work on and start coding with Objective C. A Java programmer can also adjust and practice his or her programming skills for getting a project done.

A couple of modification tasks can help if one has not actually commenced on an original project. The SDK includes a host of sample projects which can help the developer with several aspects of development. One can start there with the process and just reverse engineer it. One can add new features and even create a new game. The fifth step is to eventually become a developer. Sign up to be an iPhone Developer and shell nearly $99 which would allow agreeing to Apple’s terms and conditions. One needs to sign up to even test the code on the iPhone. Depending on time available during some weeks and even depending on the level of programming knowledge, an iPhone game would take about two months to get finished. The toughest part is to adjust to the unsafe language since a new developer would get frustrated to find even a single bug in the code. Finally, submit the app to Apple. Apps need to be submitted to the App Store and uploaded with a description along with icons and screenshots. Apple mostly takes a week to approve the content.   

iPhone Development | iPad Development | Android Apps Developer | iOS Apps Development

The First look of the new iPhone: How it feels to have iPhone 5!

October 17th, 2012

The media greeted the iPhone 5 last week with a mediocre response. The new iPhone 5 has longer, larger screen, with a thinner body frame compared to iPhone 4S. If follows the first two parts of technology’s Olympic-sounding motto: citius, grandior, vilius which means, faster, bigger and cheaper.

But it is not all about statistics, and even though iPhone 5 does not break any records, it is still at the top of the league. Apple lovers will tell you that it is not about the records that matter, but the experience.

Raw specifications suggest that the new phone is 18% thinner and 20% lighter than last year’s 4S but these specs never reveal the feel of touching an iPhone. With the latest phone, typing or swiping feels like you are touching the core pixels. This is because a layer of glass is removed from the touchscreen. Though the 4in screen is longer, it has the same width and one can still swipe the iPhone across with a thumb, which is not possible with Samsung’s huge Galaxy S3.

Those having an iCloud account can set up their new gadget with everything – including photos, apps, settings and even Wi-Fi settings and alarm times.

Apple is promising more than 225 hours’ of standby time and more 3G browsing and talk time amounting to nearly 8 hours. The new “Panorama” camera functionality is remarkable too. You can take a picture while moving and the camera goes on clicking until one has a perfect scene. You can move yourself up and down or around an object. You have 360 degrees of freedom for moving. Once the clicks are done, the software gets it all together seamlessly.

The iPhone 5 has a rear camera which includes 1080p video recording which also includes stills in between. There is the new enhanced Siri too which can find and book restaurants, tells you football scores, and offers turn-by-turn navigation to anywhere. It also helps the user to open apps and look out for film times and reviews. It is now easy to be updated with weather forecasts and particular stock prices too.

Here is a summary of what the new iPhone 5 can do:
The good: The iPhone 5 adds most of the things that were found lacking in iPhone 4S: It has 4G LTE, bigger screen by length, and the quickest A6 processor yet. The redesign of the iPhone is sharp, slim, and incredibly feather-light.

The bad: Some telecom companies like Sprint and Verizon models will not have voice and data simultaneously which is a bane. Also, the new and smaller connector makes the current accessories redundant without the multi-adapter. Also, there is no NFC feature compared to Android phones while the screen size is smaller than the big Android models.

iPhone 5 certainly rebuilds the iPhone enigma with a fantastic framework of a sleeker design and better features than its predecessor, providing a solution for most of its previous shortcomings. The best iPhone is here and it certainly makes it to the top bracket of the smartphone universe.

iPhone Apps Development | Custom iPad App Development | Android Development | iOS Development

iPhone Application Development for Business & Pleasure

October 4th, 2012

IPhones have been the best platform for various applications since its inception in the year 2007. The extreme technological flexibility and high end hardware has enabled the iPhone to be compatible to millions of applications found in various online stores. Interestingly, in this era of technological revolution, the iPhones provides a huge array of applications which are required for every day use. Moreover, the high demand for apps has fuelled the need for many high end app developers. Many programmers around the globe design apps which cover all the major business and utility segments required for daily usage.

iPhone’s revolutionary touch-interface for the first time has created a product that is transforming the usage of mobile devices with its ability to become accustomed to the user’s experience. This has facilitated for a wide range of apps to be moved to the iPhone and different companies across the world have started creating a road map into their customer management and relationship strategies with the swelling field of iPhone application development. Many companies have the ability to fix complex problems related to mobile application and hence help create revolutionary iPhone apps for their customers around the world. Varieties of iPhone apps are available like widgets commonly used in social media integration, and website creation and are available in different forms.

In recent times, the trend for apps has shifted more towards business. Education, business, medical and book applications are the most sort after categories of apps development these days. Even during this economic instability, the mobile apps seem to be flourishing as businessmen and entrepreneurs are using the apps more frequently to reach out to their customers/and prospects and thus providing them something new and unique. Program developers are acting according to the demand and are emphasizing more on the business front. With several thousand companies working day and night all over the globe to develop applications for different sectors including entertainment, social networking, shopping, navigation, and browsing etc. they are readily accessible online. The technology platform used in creating the apps include JavaScript, XHTML, CSS DHTML AJAX, Xcode, Cocoa Touch Framework, Objective C, iOS4, iPhone SDK, Unix and Mac OS X. The most innovative and creative iPhone apps and their designs are created by coding the iPhone SDK platform. The apps made by the developers, who are highly trained IT professionals are extremely user friendly and easy to install.

Before letting the applications hit the store, they are thoroughly run through different tests and are checked and rechecked for bugs. The app teams in various companies remain up to date so as not to fall back in the competitive market. A lot of work is put into promoting these apps as well. Most companies facilitate 3rd party services to develop apps as per the client’s creative ideas to change them into a live iPhone apps. With such a powerful device like an iPhone at hand, you can do anything you like anytime with a little help from such app development teams.

The iPhone Development Environment and the Android Development Environment – A Comparison

September 19th, 2012
iPhone and Android are the most popular smartphone platforms of the generation. The apps created on these platforms have made life comfortable and smooth. Working with the environments, developers find that there are few kinks with each of them. The comparison between Android and iPhone application development has been endless and nearly all boards of controversial comparison articles are trolled or flamed.

With regards to the programming language, the iPhone app development language is Objective-C which is based on C and consists of various extensions including interfaces, dynamic typing, messages and many more. On the other hand, Android revolves around Java. Many feel that Java is a total no-brainer programming tool. That is precisely the reason why coders opt for iPhone application development which they would find more exciting than Android app development.

It is very difficult to find the different functionalities in the iPhone but Android platform is much more transparent about its functionalities.

The iPhone apps are stringent in quality and are of closed nature. Android apps on the other hand are based on an open source platform and easy to tweak. The iPhone source code is available through the web but downloading Android source code of any app is easier and faster. Android apps are pretty much consistent too if one is considering the overall layout. It is also easy for beginners to venture into Android App development instead of iPhone development.

If there is a comparison between iPhone and Android application development on the basis of its programming model, the winner is obviously iPhone since it is based on the popular MVC design pattern. It is useful and easy to make the UI based on the design pattern since the coding patterns are structured well in the source code.

On the other hand, Android supports multiple processes simultaneously which makes it a little complicated. Both platforms enlist user preferences set in XML. Android’s XML pattern allows for customized user interface components. But with an iPhone, the UI job is extensive and tedious.

As an iPhone developer, one can have various resources at one’s disposal. Developers can resort to watching videos carefully for learning certain processes and coding techniques. Android too offers proper guidance related to API preferences. Android resources are more organized in this sense. Also, Apple developers do not have access to open source tools for developing iPhone apps.

The tooling systems of both platforms are basically similar and quite simple. Both the platforms have a debugger, profiler, IDE, UI, and code builder. There are no clear favorites in between iPhone and Android application development since both the platforms have advantages as well as disadvantages. It depends on the type of developers and their choice of platform. Both platforms offer tremendous growth opportunities. Additionally, with the every passing year, the complexity of apps is increasing at break-neck speeds. It is important to be clear about each of the pros and the cons of both platforms before opting for one of them for mobile application development.

The Current Market of iPhone and Android Surging Ahead!

September 13th, 2012
iPhone is one of the best tech wonders of the world because of its features and ability to create greatness out of the routine. It is easy to manage content, play smart music options, shoot with a better camera than its counterparts and work on the best UI around.

The iPhone is very well built and the most innovative apps reside in the App Store for iPhone users to make the most of the features. iPhone apps development has ravaged the market with diverse set of applications especially great business apps and easy to use entertaining games. There are millions of users in the iPhone market and it is a craze worldwide to be an iPhone user. One can create output through enterprise apps in real-time which helps in integration with external third-party systems. One can easily interact with the ERP especially if he or she is an authenticated user. One can even transact remotely. There are various iPhone developer who have managed to enhance their skills with experience and the resultant apps in recent times have huge quality and innovation embedded in them. There are various utilities which are offered in recent times too.

Apple‘s App Store is just becoming larger than ever with a huge inflow of apps day in and day out. With the advent of new iPads, the latest being iPad 3, there are many apps which are perfect for the features offered. They capitalize well with the latest tweaks of the iPad 3 and this has made it possible for developers to respond to the demand and most have been delivered too!

One can say that the new Siri is efficiently working as the intelligent assistant and with iOS 6 expected to arrive in a month or two or maybe later, there are changes which might improve its working drastically which can help you manage tasks efficiently. The iPhone boasts of best in class location-based alerts and a drastically superior notification center than any of the smartphone platform offerings. There are enhanced Mail features which are perfect for every business along with a comprehensive Calendar which has inbuilt reminders and the seamless, efficient Safari browser. The iPhone can be synced easily with a PC or a laptop even with an online account.

At the same time, Android is making the right waves with the newest entrant Android 4.0, the IceCream Sandwich version which is now available in tablets too. Android 3.0, known as Honeycomb is also compatible with the previously launched Android-powered tablets.

The Icecream Sandwich is a great improvement over the Honeycomb version and boasts of a large number of features including with a better memory and better utilization of Android smartphone features and functions. The Android phone can now boast of even better smooth and seamless transitions and you can witness that in the latest ones: the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note which house the new version quite well.

The Android applications have increased their number in the store and the new apps are thoroughly advanced and powerful laced with multiple features. With a variety of smartphones in its arsenal, Android has a huge scope for innovation. One can even work around mobile app development to get tailored apps for both iOS and Android platforms if one needs a perfect fit the for the needs of a business.

For more information about Android Application Development and iPhone App Development visit: www.elantechnologies.com

Android or iPhone: The competition is still on!

July 24th, 2012

The competition between the world’s biggest mobile platforms has always been intense. Even though Windows Phone is picking up and Blackberry has its boys, it is Android and iPhone Development show all the way!

The iPhone: The one and only
When people talk about features of the iPhone, they are referring to the iOS mobile platform. The speed of the software is great across the board and there has always been one iPhone even though we have several versions every year. One can just choose the storage that it boasts of: 16 GB to 64 GB.

The many looks of Android
Android is Google’s mobile operating system and many smartphones run on this platform. Android owners refer to their smartphones as a “Droid” even though the carriers differ from one another. Android phones are found of all shapes and sizes.

The App Store vs. the Android Market
Now this is the most important part that constitutes both platforms: apps. Apps are cited as the primary reason why people opt for smartphones these days. Apple’s App Store includes a huge list of downloadable games, tools and is the biggest market of apps in the world closely followed by Android. Apple is relatively strict in its choice of apps in the market and takes critical judgment of the apps that pass through its scanner. The App Store though is the king here.

Alternatively, Android emphasizes on “openness” and does not have a strict app approval process for its own app market. This is the main reason why malware cannot be fixed, but Android followers are happy about the approach.

The iPhone OS has been in the market for long now and hence boasts of good quality apps and more apps compared to Android market. But there are new apps being developed in both platforms and hence both iOS and Android have their own share of hits and misses.

iPhone vs. Android
A unique advantage with Android App Development is its seamless integration with Google and its services. Everyone can benefit from Android’s superior native Gmail app. Google Maps feature in Android include Google’s Navigation, GPS navigation app for the car. On the whole, Android is a flexible OS which helps you to tweak some phone features if it bugs you. All simple settings can be controlled too. There are slick design and theme apps which can easily modify the look and feel of the smartphone.

But there is a huge issue of “fragmentation” with Android since there are multiple versions of Android available. The latest version of Android is 4.0 or Ice cream Sandwich but there are many new devices which are still running an old version of the OS. Additionally, phone manufacturers come up with their own “skins” which rests on top of the Android platform. These “skins” have their own look and own apps that cannot run on any other phone of any other manufacturer. Only the Galaxy Nexus offers a vanilla Android experience and are always first updated before any other smartphone.

Now coming to the iPhone advantage, Apple has always been able to offer the best possible experience for its customers and hence seamless experience is guaranteed on all levels. With its latest Retina display technology, iPhone has the best pixel-rich display in a phone and presents a superb UI for web browsing and multimedia. Apple’s FaceTime app makes video chatting seamless between Apple devices. Siri is the best phone assistant till date too.

The iPhone is less customizable which might be a huge turn-off for some users. Also there are problems with its support for 4G capability. This is a huge minus in terms of speed when Android 4G phones are around.

For more information about iPhone Application Developer and Offshore Android Application Development visit: www.elantechnologies.com

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