Category: Smart Home

Consumer spending within app stores is expected to hit $110 billion in 2018

Post author By Alena Annarelli
Post date December 22, 2017

Consumer spending within all app stores is anticipated to surpass $110 billion in 2018, with a shift in popularity of app categories. Entertainment apps have typically gained more popularity with consumers, but need-based apps (e.g., food delivery, payments, etc.) are on the rise. Need-based apps are usually discovered through word of mouth, but more consumers have begun seeking them out to help simplify their daily lives. Additionally, Apple and Google have begun work to reorganize their app stores in an effort to make newer apps more discoverable to users, which is likely to promote more downloads.
Popularity of AR apps will also be on the rise in the new year. Facebook, Google and Apple previously announced they are working to expand their AR capabilities. This type of expansion will open up the app stores for more developers to publish AR apps, generating more excitement from users.

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Astonishingly, downloads for Amazon’s Alexa app surged from 1 million to 3 million within just 3 months last year. This year’s trends are expected to show a growth well beyond that mark as more virtual assistants have been released before the holiday season.
We at jācapps wish you and yours Happy Holidays and look forward to speaking with you about your mobile needs in the new year! Reach out to us at 248-353-9030 or marketing@jacapps.com to learn more.

Tags alexa, Amazon Alexa, apps, AR apps, mobile apps

Alexa Amazon Echo Google Home Radio Smart Home Techsurvey

Smart speakers are this year’s trending gifts

Post author By Alena Annarelli
Post date December 1, 2017

Notably, more than one in six online households (18%) now own at least one smart speaker, with 40% of this group already having two or more of the devices in their household. Smart speaker owners are also especially likely to purchase another of these voice command gadgets for themselves or as a gift this holiday season. In fact, six in ten smart speaker owners (61%) plan to purchase at least one more device during this all-important gift-buying cycle.

The study also shows that one in ten online households (11%) specifically owns an Alexa-enabled Amazon smart speaker such as the Echo, Echo Dot and Show devices; the majority of these owners (69%) have at least one Alexa “skill” enabled, while 45% have two or more Alexa “skills” enabled.

Bob Kernen, COO of jācapps, notes, “With Black Friday and Cyber Monday now in the rearview mirror, both Amazon and Google continue to compete heavily to get as many of their smart speakers, now at their lowest price points ever, into as large a number of households as possible. This data strongly suggests smart speaker ownership will take off in the coming weeks.”

“Smart speakers are clearly the must-have gadget for the holidays. Like anything else, habits will form quickly which is the remarkable opportunity for broadcasters and podcasters. They need a smart audio strategy for smart speakers,” said Steve Goldstein, co-founder of Sonic Ai.

We can develop Alexa skills for your business. Reach out to us at 248-353-9030 or marketing@jacapps.com to learn more!

Tags alexa, amazon echo, google home, smart speaker, smart speakers

Alexa Amazon Echo Google Home Radio Smart Home Techsurvey

Smart speakers are this year's trending gifts

Post author By Alena Annarelli
Post date December 1, 2017

We recently collaborated with our sister company, Jacobs Media and Sonic Ai on a national study regarding smart speakers. Our online study shows that one in five (20%) respondents age 13 and older with Internet access plan to purchase a voice-controlled smart speaker such as an Amazon Echo or Google Home during the 2017 holiday season.
Notably, more than one in six online households (18%) now own at least one smart speaker, with 40% of this group already having two or more of the devices in their household. Smart speaker owners are also especially likely to purchase another of these voice command gadgets for themselves or as a gift this holiday season. In fact, six in ten smart speaker owners (61%) plan to purchase at least one more device during this all-important gift-buying cycle.
The study also shows that one in ten online households (11%) specifically owns an Alexa-enabled Amazon smart speaker such as the Echo, Echo Dot and Show devices; the majority of these owners (69%) have at least one Alexa “skill” enabled, while 45% have two or more Alexa “skills” enabled.
Bob Kernen, COO of jācapps, notes, “With Black Friday and Cyber Monday now in the rearview mirror, both Amazon and Google continue to compete heavily to get as many of their smart speakers, now at their lowest price points ever, into as large a number of households as possible. This data strongly suggests smart speaker ownership will take off in the coming weeks.”
“Smart speakers are clearly the must-have gadget for the holidays. Like anything else, habits will form quickly which is the remarkable opportunity for broadcasters and podcasters. They need a smart audio strategy for smart speakers,” said Steve Goldstein, co-founder of Sonic Ai.
We can develop Alexa skills for your business. Reach out to us at 248-353-9030 or marketing@jacapps.com to learn more!

Tags alexa, amazon echo, google home, smart speaker, smart speakers

Amazon Echo Google Home Mobile UX Voice Commands

What is a “Template” vs. a “Platform” App?

Post author By Alena Annarelli
Post date August 4, 2017

Man using mobile payments online shopping and icon customer network connection on screen, m-banking and omni channel

Each type of app can bring different advantages for your company. Understanding those advantages help shape the goal of your app.

Deciding which type of app is right for your company is crucial

When jācapps was formed back in 2008, we built every app from scratch. Development took a long time, repairs and updates were tedious, and flexibility was minimal. As we became more sophisticated, our development leaders had a vision to create a platform that would enable us to not only build, service, and update apps faster, but also provide an incredible amount of flexibility to our clients in layout, design, features, and functionality.
Concurrently, other developers were working on their own version, and a few have created a “templated” approach. In this model, app design, features, and functionality are uniform. The only thing different is the content in the app (the stream, links to social media, etc.).
Two approaches – both are credible and deliver on the promise to clients. Our approach is a modular, customizable platform. The other approach is a template.
Here’s why we believe the modular platform approach delivers more advantages to our clients than a template:

No two radio stations are the same. Sure, most radio station apps have streams, podcasts, social media, and more. But each radio station is its own brand. A Top 40 station in Wichita should reflect their brand and their market, and shouldn’t look like a Christian radio station in Madison. Some stations have huge morning shows that should be featured. Others should highlight social media. A template can’t provide that flexibility. A platform can.
Different formats require different functionality. When our partner company, Jacobs Media, began conducting the TechSurvey, it became clear to us that audiences of different formats interact with their favorite radio station in unique ways. For example, Twitter use by Sports radio fans is through the roof, so our sports station clients can feature that on the main screen in their app. News stations in commercial and public radio feature a headline news feed on their main page, and music-oriented stations feature last-song played. A template can’t provide that flexibility. A platform can.
A platform app can best reflect what’s on the air. One of the main advantages of a platform app is that it can be “programmed” to be responsive to what’s on the air. So, if the morning show has a special guest, the app can instantly be changed to feature a picture of the guest prior to them appearing, and then taken down when the interview is complete. Station promotions, contests and events can be showcased, and removed when the event is over. Templated apps are static, and cannot promote the station in as timely and effective a manner as a platform app.

There are many other reasons why a flexible platform is the best solution for your mobile strategy. We have been fortunate to work with hundreds of radio stations over the past 8+ years, and they have inspired us to design our platform with the unique needs of their business in mind. The result is the most flexible, customizable, and reasonably priced solution going.
If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of the jācapps platform, contact us at sales@jacapps.com.

Amazon Echo Google Home Mobile UX Voice Commands

The Importance of UX Without the Screen

Post author By Jacquelyn LaFrance
Post date July 27, 2017

In today’s world, brands must increase user engagement, among other priorities, to stay relevant and meet their goals. These goals can be met with a mobile app, but it goes beyond just having an app for your business.

A good User Experience (UX) can mean the difference between success and failure

Many times, when we think of UX we think of wireframes and pretty colors. We consider whether a button color change would increase the purchase rate. But UX isn’t always on a screen. UX goes beyond the screen with audio products.
Designing for the suite of voice apps (Alexa, Google Home, and the HomePod) moves us away from visual representations and takes us to one single sense – sound.
As with all applications, user testing is critical. There are a few common red flags that come up when testing audio. One must make sure the audio demands make sense to the user. They should feel spontaneous and free of fluff. You must consider all the different accents and how they may be mispronounced. There also needs to be solid evidence that people would use the skill.
Done well, the audio platform takes your company and your product, off the screen and into the home.
At jācapps, we understand the end user and how they use mobile in a variety of settings – at home, at work, in the car, etc. We can help you build a UX strategy that works both on the screen and off the screen to reach your audience and keep them engaged wherever they may be.
Reach out to us today by clicking here. You can also give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Radio Smart Home

Smart Speaker Usage to Grow About 130% in 2017

Post author By Vince Kattoula
Post date May 18, 2017

radio smart speaker mobile apps — Voice control vector illustration. Smart computer voice control with human voice. Smart phone, smart house, modern computer technology.Voice control command background.Voice control businessman office

Last week, eMarketer released a report which showed that 35.6 million Americans will use a voice-activated assistant device, or smart speaker, at least once a month in 2017. Compared to 2016, that’s an increase of 128.9%. Quite the jump indeed. Even though Amazon has led the smart speaker trend, companies like Google, Microsoft, and soon Apple, have set out to transform the way we interact with media in our cars and homes.
Our sister company, Jacobs Media, asked radio listeners how often they use the built-in voice command feature on the devices they own in Techsurvey13, the radio industry’s largest online survey. They found that nearly half (45%) of respondents use voice commands frequently or occasionally. One out of every five said they use them on a frequent basis.

To no one’s surprise, Millennials are the ones leading this craze. According to eMarketer, about one-fifth of the population, use voice-enabled digital assistants at least once a month on any device, and millennials make up just over half of that. By 2019, the total number is expected to grow to over 66 million, with Millennials accounting for about 39 million.

What does this mean for your station?

Listeners are becoming increasingly comfortable with this kind of technology. After all, voice provides the lowest friction interface between consumers and them getting what they want. It’s time to keep your audience engaged beyond their phone, tablet, and even their car. You need to make it easier for them to access your content, and what better way than using their own voice? Voice command technology presents radio stations with an opportunity to reestablish themselves in the home, at work, in the car, at the gym, and wherever else they may be.
Along with our partners SonicAI, we can help your station create the “skills” necessary to get your brand onto the Alexa platform. In fact, we can help your station establish a mobile strategy that will help your brand become easy to find everywhere, including the “smart home” and “connected car.”
Click here to reach out to us today, give us a call at 248-353-9030, or email sales@jacapps.com.

App Everywhere Connected Car Smart Home

Voice Commands in the Car and Home Present Many Opportunities

Post author By Vince Kattoula
Post date May 4, 2017

voice command car home opportunities — Side view of cute little girl in cute dress screaming into loudspeaker, standing on gray background

Last week, I mentioned Matt Hartman’s suggestion that voice provides the lowest friction interface between consumers and them getting what they want. This is especially true in the car where voice commands cut back on distracted driving. Controlling the infotainment system in your car makes the driving experience much safer in the long run, and adds value to the overall driving experience.

We understand the power of voice.

jācapps has been in the voice game for a while now. For the past four years we’ve been coding apps to work with Ford’s Sync system, and it’s why we debuted SonicAi, our new company that develops “skills” for voice-command devices, or “smart speakers.” We understand the power of voice and how it has the potential to change the way people listen to radio, podcasts, audiobooks, etc. in their cars and homes.

Matthew DeBord, Business Insider senior correspondent, offers his review of Apple CarPlay here. In his review, he mentions how natural it feels to speak to Siri, the iPhone’s virtual assistant, in the car. We believe this holds true in the home as well. That’s why our team has been hard at work developing new “skills” for voice-command devices like Amazon Echo. As more and more devices become voice controlled, the opportunity grows for brands to make themselves easily accessible to their audiences.
At jācapps, we can help you sort through the connected car, as well as the smart home, so your brand is easy to find everywhere. That is the whole idea behind our App Everywhere® program.
Click here to reach out today, give us a call at 248-353-9030, or email sales@jacapps.com.

Alexa Amazon Echo App Everywhere Google Home Mobile Apps Smart Home

You Don't SAi? Joint Venture Makes "Skills" for Amazon Echo and Google Home

Post author By Vince Kattoula
Post date April 27, 2017

amazon echo google home alexa smart home — Waves Sound in glow light. Abstract background. Vector illustration

Last week marked the debut of SonicAi – our new joint venture that develops “skills” for voice command devices – or “smart speakers” as they’re sometimes called.

We partnered with Steve Goldstein, Founder/CEO of Amplifi Media, to bring SonicAi, or SAi (“say”) for short, to life. The company’s focus is on designing and creating spoken word software for devices like Amazon Echo, or “Alexa,” as well as Google Home. These gadgets are showing up in more and more homes, offices, and other spaces every day.
From time-shifted audio like podcasts to featuring key station content that can be easily accessed and shared, our vision is to use the power of spoken voice commands to enhance the radio experience.

Jacobs Media, our sister company, has been tracking ownership of “smart speakers” in Techsurvey 13 and found that 11% of homes have one. And they’ve found that listeners who love formats that range from Alternative to AC to Sports Talk are grabbing up these devices in nearly equal numbers, indicating their mass appeal. In fact, Gartner predicts that 75% of U.S. homes will have one by 2020, and 20% will have two.
What this means for your station is that you need to engage with your audience beyond their phone, tablet, and even their car. You need to follow them wherever they may be. This means offering them apps everywhere, or App Everywhere® as we like to say. Furthermore, you need to make it easier for them to access your content. And what better way than using their own voice? Matt Hartman suggests that voice provides the lowest friction between consumers and them getting what they want, which is what makes offering your listeners these “skills” for voice command devices so important.
Check out this video to learn more about what SonicAi is all about:

To learn even more, click here.
Reach out to us today to discuss your mobile strategy and how we can help grow your business. Give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Alexa Amazon Echo App Everywhere Google Home Mobile Apps Smart Home

You Don’t SAi? Joint Venture Makes “Skills” for Amazon Echo and Google Home

Post author By Vince Kattoula
Post date April 27, 2017

Last week marked the debut of SonicAi – our new joint venture that develops “skills” for voice command devices – or “smart speakers” as they’re sometimes called.

We partnered with Steve Goldstein, Founder/CEO of Amplifi Media, to bring SonicAi, or SAi (“say”) for short, to life. The company’s focus is on designing and creating spoken word software for devices like Amazon Echo, or “Alexa,” as well as Google Home. These gadgets are showing up in more and more homes, offices, and other spaces every day.

From time-shifted audio like podcasts to featuring key station content that can be easily accessed and shared, our vision is to use the power of spoken voice commands to enhance the radio experience.

What this means for your station is that you need to engage with your audience beyond their phone, tablet, and even their car. You need to follow them wherever they may be. This means offering them apps everywhere, or App Everywhere® as we like to say. Furthermore, you need to make it easier for them to access your content. And what better way than using their own voice? Matt Hartman suggests that voice provides the lowest friction between consumers and them getting what they want, which is what makes offering your listeners these “skills” for voice command devices so important.

Check out this video to learn more about what SonicAi is all about:

To learn even more, click here.

Reach out to us today to discuss your mobile strategy and how we can help grow your business. Give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Alexa Amazon Echo App Everywhere Connected Car Podcasting Radio Smart Home

3 Tech Trends That Will Impact Your Radio Station This Year

Post author By Vince Kattoula
Post date March 30, 2017
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By: Vince Kattoula

Radio has survived countless technological advancements over the years, from TV to iPods to streaming. But, perhaps the most dramatic changes, and most challenging, have yet to come. Below are some important technology trends that we think will influence your station this year.
Smart speakers. Radio’s presence in the home has been eroding since the appearance of the iPod. But new hope for radio has arrived in the form of “smart speakers,” particularly Amazon Echo. By now, you’ve probably heard about (or even used) “Alexa” and experienced all she can do. From setting the temperature on your smart thermostat to dimming the lights in your living room, there are a lot of cool things these speakers can do. For radio stations, however, their opportunity lies with Alexa’s ability to pull in the listener’s favorite station or podcast with a simple voice command. Radio’s at-home challenge – like so many of the others – starts with awareness, and then devising smart strategies to take advantage of this technology.
Podcasting. Podcasting, a once-obscure method of consuming audio, has become a leading medium for distributing audio content, whether for business or personal use. In 2016, 71% of podcasts were listened to on a mobile device. It’s no surprise that mobile is the dominant platform being used to stream podcasts, yet radio stations still haven’t embraced podcasting like they should. When combined, podcasting and radio can create exciting programming that brings together broadcasting’s skills at production, content creation and marketing in an exciting, unlimited new form.
Connected cars. The car dashboard is one of the greatest programming challenges for broadcasters today. It’s also one of the greatest opportunities. Radio still has a dominant presence within cars, but this does not mean things won’t change. More technology brings more choices, and there are a lot in connected cars. We can attribute much of this to the driver’s ability to bring in smartphone content as well as dashboard apps, like Pandora and Spotify, right to their screen. So, what does this mean for your station? Simple – your mobile app is the way in. Whether it’s the in-car system, CarPlay or Android Auto, your mobile app makes sure that when your listener is in the car, your brand stays top of mind.
Apps are the best way to engage consumers through their mobile phone since it allows a variety of content (and content types like audio, video, text, etc.) to go with them no matter where they are. We understand the potential of these technologies to redefine the way consumers inform and entertain themselves where they live and while on-the-go. That’s why we’ve been hard at work developing new “skills” for Amazon Echo and Google Home, adding to our App Everywhere^SM initiative.
Reach out to us today! Call 248-353-9030, or email sales@jacapps.com for a free consultation.