TED TALK: Simon Sinek tell us how great leaders inspire us

This is probably my favorite TED Talk, not only can this be applied to everyday life but the way apps can be created and be successful by such a simple idea.

Top Apps for Your Business

Top Apps You Need for Your Business

Apps are everywhere now days and its hard to see and know which apps are useful to you in the business world. In this post I'm going to list some apps that are considered useful and important to businesses today. Adobe Reader is the first app that I would consider to get in the business world. It is important because it is very useful, it helps convert files such as emails into PDF files. Then Reader allows you to add, highlight, underline, strikeout text,and also allows for drawing and adding signatures to the PDF file. After you completed all your revisions Reader allows you to send the finalized document by email, or to other apps like Dropbox or Google Drive for storage. The second app is MailChimp, which is an email-marketing app. The app doesn't allow you to do everything that the website does but it has the most important things such as client list, new clients, lost clients, and organize your campaign by location and groups. The third app is CloudMagic, it is regarded as one of the best email client apps. It supports up to five email accounts at once and uses all the top email severs such as Gmail, Outlook, Office 365, iCloud and more. It color codes all your emails to the account in which they are from and allows you to complete all your work right from the inbox. Inside the app there is many different note taking functions and other functions such as Evernote, OneNote, MailChimp, and many more. The fourth app is Slashtop Business, which is a really neat app that allows you to access your computer from your phone. It allows you to open, run, and edit files on your computer. The only thing besides the app that you need is to download the app to your hard-drive on your computer and you can start using your computer anywhere fro your phone. CamCard is the next app I’m going to talk about. It is a great app for people who often meet and greet new clients or business associates. The app is designed to help manage your business contacts using its main feature, which is a business card scanner. It uses your rear camera on your phone to take a picture of the business card, which it then analyses the image and extracts the text and auto fills the content into a new contact.

Social Media Mobile Applications

Summarizing our last post, staying connected in one’s personal and professional network is something that everyone seems to have a passion for. There are many social media sites our there today to fill these needs and most of them have a similar business model.  Each company’s goal is to win the account registration of everyone on the planet; and honestly, for the most part, they have accomplished this. However, the “big-named” networks are seemingly leaving behind other social media network sites that only have a web browser page. Those who truly have succeeded with their niche are the ones who have developed mobile applications for interacting through their app. Let’s take Facebook for example; whether it’s on your phone, tablet, or computer, you have a plethora of ways to connect through Facebook each and every day. The same type of statement could be made for Twitter, Pinterest, etc.

            Without the use of mobile applications that can be installed directly to your device’s storage drive, many social media networks are unable to keep up with the latest fad or technology. Networks that are only accessed through an actual website are considered obsolete or “useless” in some cases. Instagram is a good example of this concept. Even though Instagram has a fully functional web page for users to login and create virtual lifestyles (pictures, posts, comments, etc.), most of their users have the mobile application in which they usually use. Some people are unaware that Instagram even had an actual web site; they simple thought that the mobile app was the only form of existence. Similarly, Snap Chat has become a worldwide phenomenon with almost every mobile phone owner having an account. This app is used almost, if not more, than any other app on the market. The beauty of many of these apps is that they are free or cheap to install and use. A company that enables users to use their app for free gains a competitive advantage over increasingly high prices for their competitors’ apps.

iphone and Andriod business app

In this day in age staying connected to the people around you is extremely important; and it’s even more important when talking about the world of business.  No matter what industry a person is in they need to be able to communicate with their coworkers effectively and efficiently.  The way that most people communicate now is by using their smartphone.  Companies that create apps have seen this need for business professionals to stay connected and have started making apps that help people communicate.

            An app that is really helping people stay connected is Addappt.  This app automatically updates a person’s contact information as soon as they update it.  For example if a coworker changes their email address for some reason this app will automatically update their email address in your phone.  This app is obviously very useful because outdated information in the business world can cause a lot of problems and confusion. 

            An app that is helping people stay informed is called Audio memos, this app allows a person to record audio on their smartphone and easily send out the audio file in an email or upload the file to dropbox.  This app is extremely useful because sales meetings, interviews, and other important meetings can now be recorded and easily sent out to coworkers who may not have been able to be there.  This gives companies the ability to make sure that everyone has all of the information they need from important meetings even if they were out of town or home sick. 

            Another app that is getting people connected is the BlueJeans app. This app allows anyone to video conference with anyone; no matter what system they are using weather it be from a iphone or an Android device. This app is really useful now because a lot of companies are now having offices overseas and they need an easy way to communicate with them and what better way to do that then video conference.  

            

Self-Serve Mobile Application Creation

One of the most intriguing facts about mobile applications and the development of such is the fact that there continues to be a growing plethora of technologies that enable users to create their own apps little or no experience. If small business owners wish to create apps specific to their business they are able to do so with various software and tools designed to ensure satisfaction by beginner app developers. Not all apps are made for everyone so having a unique app that integrates one’s personal needs is critical to online success for some businesses.

            Along with uses of mobile apps for personal small businesses, some individuals are utilizing these easy-to-use app creators to start their own small business simply developing applications for other people. In today’s society, many people have chosen to take the path of working from home to make a living. Mobile App development is a great way for individuals to make large amounts of money with easy step-by-step app development tools. 

            The popular phrase “There’s an app for that” has been a growing trend over the past few years and I believe it will continue to be a truthful statement for as long as smart phones remain a fad. However, do you think that the mobile app population will ever become extinct? Or do you think that there will always be a use of applications that have not yet been created? In the future as more and more apps are created I feel like there will be lack of innovation and need for new apps because all apps will have their specific uses and there will be no unfilled niches left.

            As this blog is concluded, it is amazing to think of all of the many uses of mobile apps and how they add convenience and ease to our daily lives. Also, the luxury of developing a mobile app online with no special program or experience is needed which makes making apps so easy for many people. Has anyone ever tried to develop mobile apps with an online service? If so, was it effective and easy to use?

Introduction to our blog

Technological advances of the 21^st century have had a tremendous effect on the way people, and businesses, operate on a daily basis. The world is more connected than ever thanks to the rapid growth of smart phones, and the ability to access the web from almost anywhere at anytime. I-Phones and Androids dominate a market that was run by flip phones, and other basic cellular devices, just a few years ago. Your cell phone is no longer used solely for making phone calls and sending text messages. Smart Phones allow the user to perform day-to-day functions that once required a computer and a centralized location. Checking e-mails, staying connected with friends, and getting the answers to everyday questions can be done, on the go, at the push of a button (granted you have reception and a battery charge).

With the creation of these smartphones also came the introduction of mobile application software (or mobile apps for short). A mobile app is a type of application software designed to run on mobile devices. These apps frequently serve to provide users with similar services to those used on PCs, and are generally small, individual software units with limited function. Mobile apps come in all shapes and sizes and developers are constantly coming up with new ideas and improving on old ones.

As they say, “With great power comes great responsibility”. The analogous comparison of this phrase to mobile apps is that many people in today’s society are torn between which types of system to run these apps on, Android or I-Phone (IOS). There are many people who use both systems and the users of these systems think that the opposite system isn’t worth a lot.  Each system pretty much runs the apps the same with the exception of the menu layout and minor screen views. However, those who are Android users do not like iOS apps and vise versa.

Later in this blog we will explore deeper realities regarding Mobile applications and how they are used differently amongst different platforms (especially in the business world).