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Connected Car Mobile Apps

The Top 9 App Trends from 2014

App Annie, one of the top app measurement platforms, has come out with their annual report that pulls the big app trends from the past year. Let’s take a look back at what trends were the most notable.

1. According to the full report, “Google Play has increased its lead over iOS in worldwide downloads”. In 2014, it generated about 60% more app downloads than iOS, but iOS generated over 70% more yearly app revenue than Google Play. Therefore, both stores came out of 2014 extremely successful.

2. The app “superpowers” rocked it last year. The U.S., South Korea, and Japan collectively generated more revenue than the rest of the world…combined!  Since they placed at #2 this year, it is predicted that the BRIC region (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) will perform very well in the upcoming year. BRIC countries had a huge growth in revenue by over 120% last year.

3. Messaging apps continued to rise. For example, WhatsApp grew so significantly that Facebook bought it. Overall, downloads of messaging apps increased 53% from 2013.

4. Travel/Transportation apps grew 30% from 2013. Uber, for example, teamed up with Google Maps which drove further app uploads.

5. Mobile video streaming apps have become more popular, and will continue to increase. It is now vital for the success of television networks to have a solid streaming app for their viewers. Streaming downloads have increased 44% from the previous year.

6. Games based on movies and TV shows had a strong showing in 2014, which sets the stage for an even stronger turnout in 2015.

7. According to App Annie’s proprietary demographics data, we are able to see the gender composition of downloads in the U.S. for multiple app categories. Social networking and Photo and Video appealed more to the female audience, while mobile gamers appealed more to the male audience.

8. Simple gaming apps, AKA “super casual gaming” had a great year. One or more “super casual” games finished in the top 10 app downloads for 10 out of 12 months in 2014.

9. Localization played an integral part in music app downloads. Shazam and Spotify made it big in Europe and North America while QQ Music was on top in China and Palco MP3 in Brazil.

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Mobile Apps

Mobile Technology for the Disabled

As we are seeing every day, technology is rapidly evolving. So much so, that Israel has begun experimenting with making mobile technology accessible to those who have disabilities. These technologies are also beneficial for able-bodied users. For example, Project Ray has developed a phone for the blind, which also allows drivers to use the device without taking their eyes off of the road. Voiceitt, an app for people with speech impediments, is working on ways for voice recognition to recognize different types of accents. There is also Sesame, which allows paralyzed users to operate their devices hands free.

According to The Globe and Mail, disability has “inspired innovation for centuries” which is most definitely true. The invention of the telephone came about from work on hearing and speech products for the deaf, and the use of the phonograph was also intended to record books for the blind. Presently, developments in screen interfaces, voice recognition, and robotics were all tested out by disabled users. As these technologies advance, we may be able to use our mobile devices without even touching them!

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Mobile Apps

The Future of the Biometric Interface

It can be frustrating when you log onto your Facebook account and see that it has been hacked. Sure, you can go in and change your password, but who says that your account won’t be hacked again? It is safe to say that a good amount of people have run into similar situations (SONY, anyone?), so how do we fix this? How can we make sure our information is secure without the fear of having it happen to us again? 

Biometric interface technology analyzes human measurements and characteristics; therefore, we can use this new technology to replace usernames and passwords. This would result in your personal information, and even your business’ information remaining extremely secure. 

According to Juniper Research, Biometric Interface technology has a smaller market right now. It is predicted that in a few years the market will go from a million dollar company to a billion dollar company. Midsize Insider reveals that biometric interface technologies will not replace all touch commands, but it will improve security and create a better experience for mobile users.

Rather than having to remember a password, voice, facial, and even finger print recognition makes it easier for the user, and makes it equally as difficult for a potential hacker to access information.

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Mobile Apps

Mobile Healthcare Apps Are Making It Big in 2015

As research has shown, mobile usage is climbing. From shopping to watching videos, using mobile has become the new normal in our society. It is so popular that hospitals and doctors offices are even getting in on the mobile movement.

Mobile healthcare applications can help you track your personal fitness, health records, prescriptions, and doctor’s appointments. According to the mHealth App Developer Economics 2014 report, there are about 100,000 health apps available for the two largest mobile platforms, Apple and Android. Android specifically has seen a considerable growth in applications listed under the ‘health and fitness’ and ‘medical’ sections on Google Play.

New technologies are being developed every day; according to Fox News, mobile-enabled diagnostic and screening tools will be launched in the coming year.

As wearable mobile devices evolve, we should also be seeing more around the clock monitoring. This would allow patients and their doctors to keep track of vitals and so much more.

Having a mobile healthcare app is convenient for both patients and healthcare workers. It saves time and is an extremely efficient way for a patient to keep track of what is going on with their health.

Check out some of the healthcare apps we have developed here! Do you currently use any healthcare or fitness apps?