Smartphone “Kill Switch” to Deter Cell Phone Theft?
There was a time when you could really be in for a major headache if your credit card was stolen. The thief could theoretically tally up hundreds or thousands of dollars in unauthorized purchases, leaving you on the hook for the bill. Then, credit card companies made it possible for customers to cancel stolen cards […]
Apple Apps and Hardware: Coming Soon to a Car Dashboard Near You
Apple gave the automotive and tech worlds a special sneak preview of its new CarPlay system at the 2014 Geneva International Motor Show, and the display dazzled insiders in both industries. In essence, the CarPlay system transforms a compatible vehicle’s dashboard into an iPhone- or iPad-like interface, turning it into a fully functional extension of […]
Apple Acquires TestFlight, Drops Android Developer Support
Apple, Inc. recently acquired Burstly, the booming tech company behind products like TestFlight and SkyRocket. TestFlight is a popular mobile app beta-testing platform, while SkyRocket is a leading in-app advertising management tool. While terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed, tech industry insiders immediately began speculating that there was more behind the move than […]
Driving Forces Behind Facebook’s WhatsApp Acquisition
Facebook recently acquired WhatsApp for a whopping $19 billion. Anytime a company pays out a big chunk of change to a relative newcomer, the whole tech industry sit up and pays attention. After all, millions of entrepreneurs and iPhone app developers around the world dream about that kind of payday. A close look at […]
The “Internet of Things” Revolutionizing the World
Tech industry pundits are predicting that 2014 will be the year that the long-heralded “Internet of Things” really takes hold. Recent advances in computer hardware have made all kinds of fascinating applications possible, moving us toward a hyper-connected world in which technology and the “real world” interact in exciting new ways. Insiders predict that this […]
Android Continues Gains, iOS Slipping in Global Marketshare
According to IDC, a consumer research firm, a total of 793.6 million Android smartphones shipped last year. With global smartphone shipments ending up just north of 1 billion for the 2013 calendar year, IDC credits Android with a 78.6 percent market share. Apple’s iOS placed a distant but steady second, with a 15.6 percent market […]
NSA Spying Through Popular Mobile Apps Like “Angry Birds”
According to a report co-authored by The New York Times and the U.K. newspaper The Guardian, the National Security Agency and its British equivalent are using game apps like Angry Birds to collect users’ personal information. Details of the program, obtained from classified British intelligence files, indicate that Angry Birds and other “leaky apps” are […]
Software Developers Anticipate Challenges Monetizing Apps
Making real money from a mobile app is already challenging, but industry insiders predict that it is going to get even harder in the years ahead. Current trends indicate that by 2017, 94.5 percent of all mobile downloads will be available to end users free of charge. Analysts also anticipate that as little as 0.01 […]
Android and iOS App Developers Respond to Shifting Market Shares
This time last year, many of the world’s most talented and successful software developers preferred to create products for Apple’s iOS operating system. The iOS platform simply offered better technological tools and revenue potential. Today, it looks as though the tides are beginning to turn. With Android-based smartphones swallowing up a growing market share, Apple’s […]
Messaging Apps Fuel Massive Growth in Mobile Industry
2013 was another record-breaking year for the mobile app industry — one which saw year-over-year growth of 115 percent. While many different app categories contributed to the impressive growth rate, messaging and social media apps led the charge. The messaging apps category, which includes social media and photo sharing software, grew by 203 percent in […]