'Net Features : Apple

10 iOS Apps for Internet Professionals

Allison Howen — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:45:00 GMT

Mobile has changed everything – from the way we advertise and format emails to the way we design our websites and interact with colleagues when away from the office.

In fact, the biggest benefit of mobile may be that it connects us with our surroundings regardless of where we are located. This makes it easy for Internet professionals to stay connected with their colleagues, important data and even their business’s social profiles while on the go.

That said, Apple’s popular App Store contains hundreds of thousands of applications, which can make it very time consuming for business professionals to discover the best apps to keep them connected with their businesses. Luckily, Website Magazine has sifted through the App Store and has highlighted ten top apps for Internet professionals below:

Vine

Since its January release, Vine has taken the App Store by storm. In fact, this free video sharing tool is currently number one in the app store, and has been leveraged by everyone from retailers like Urban Outfitters to the White House. Businesses can use this app to spice up their Twitter feed and engage their followers with short video snippets.

Google Drive

Need an important file while away from your desktop? No problem. Just download the Google Drive app and sign up with the cloud service to receive 5GB of free storage. By doing this, you can save all of your important files to the cloud and access them from any device, any browser and anywhere. This free app allows users to edit and create Google documents and spreadsheets, share photos and view documents offline.

StratPad

StratPad helps business owners create plans and strategies for their enterprise’s success directly from their iPad. It provides tutorials and a toolkit to help users create business plans, map out their goals and produce data-filled graphs and reports. Reports can also be easily shared via StratPad, and the app even integrates with Yammer to allow teams to discuss reports together. The app comes in a free version as well as multiple paid versions that range from $9.99 to $54.99.

Zendesk

Zendesk’s updated iPad app includes new customer history features and a reporting dashboard, which helps keep companies aware of their performance from anywhere, at anytime. The reporting dashboard allows managers to monitor data and metrics with three different views: the leaderboard, ticket activity and first response. The leaderboard view gives users a quick glance at metrics like customer satisfaction, solved tickets and response time, while the ticket activity view provides details on the volume of tickets, efficiency and quality of agent responses. Conversely, the first response view contains an interactive dial that lets users discover how long it took to respond to customer inquiries across various time periods. The update also offers customer service history on a company or customer level, which allows service teams to gain insights on previous interactions so they can better address customers' individual needs.

Foursquare for Business

While Foursquare might not be the most popular social network, businesses should maintain a presence here in order to increase their visibility. And with the Foursquare for Business app, brands can increase their visibility while on the go. This app allows social media managers to create updates to be shared on Foursquare, Facebook and Twitter. Moreover, users can use this app to manage multiple business profiles, turn specials on and off, as well as monitor other important data like recent check-ins.

Adobe Eazel for Photoshop

If you’re a designer who wants to create art work while on the go, look no further than Adobe Eazel for Photoshop. This art app is a companion app to Adobe Photoshop CS5 software, and enables users to create works of arts with their fingertips. Moreover, artwork can be sent directly to Photoshop CS5, where they are re-rendered at a higher resolution and can be saved in any file format.

GoDaddy

Purchase domains from anywhere with the free Go Daddy app. Not only can this app be leveraged to buy and manage domains, but also to purchase hosting, Web Builder, SSL certificates and more. Additionally, users can access their Go Daddy email from within the app’s Mobile Workspace feature, as well as store and access files from the Online Storage file manager. And if those features don’t make this app an instant-download, then perhaps access to the company’s Internet-only commercials will.

Analytics Tiles App

Got analytics on the brain? If so, consider downloading the colorful Analytics Tiles App. This engaging app allows users to monitor and interact with performance data. The apps interface is customizable, as it allows users to add and remove reports (tiles) via drag and drop functionality. Tiles can further be customized with a variety of color options, and users can view additional details from a report by tapping on its tile. It is important to note that users must also have a Google Analytics account with at least one active website in order to use the app.

OfficeTime – Time & Expense Tracking

Track all of your hours and expenses from your iOS mobile device with the free OfficeTime app. This time tracker allows users to track time by project and category, track time with multiple hourly rates, run multiple timers and work offline. Moreover, users that upgrade to the paid version have the ability to export time data to Excel or Numbers and track an unlimited number of projects and categories.

Website Magazine

We couldn’t compile a list of the top iOS apps for Internet professionals without mentioning the Website Magazine app. This updated app (which is available for iOS and Android devices – including tablets), allows users to access the Website Magazine daily blog, read current and previous issues, as well as explore information within each topic channel.

Bonus: Not enough apps? Discover additional top mobile apps for Web workers here.

Design Inspiration from the Web 100

Amberly Dressler — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:55:00 GMT

From innovative navigational elements to design based on customer feedback, Web 100 companies design for the user experience. These top digital destinations are also setting the bar and changing consumer expectations.

Here are six companies, one from each Web 100 category, that are improving their bottom line with design.

Chase.com

Category: Finance
Design Takeaway: Listen to your users!

A clearer, simpler Chase.com arrived in late 2012. The redesign centered on cleaner, more user-friendly aesthetics, including clearer language and navigation that is more purposeful. For example, all of Chase’s products and services can be viewed in just one click.

The redesign was the multiyear product of incorporating feedback from customers on what they want to see from the number one most visited banking website. Even though customers wanted a new Chase.com, not everyone likes change, however, especially such a drastic one. The financial company took a ‘rip off the Band-Aid’ approach, but explained the new home page to users visiting the site for the first time since the re-launch and even made the login area take up nearly 50 percent of the page’s real estate.

Visitor cookies eventually take over and indicate to Chase to swap out the re-design content (for things like credit card offers) and a smaller login space. The image below is with cookies.

Coca-ColaCompany.com

Category: Lifestyle
Design Takeaway: Break the mold.

Visit nearly any corporate website, and dull design is sure to follow. Visit Coca-Cola’s, and you’ll get a website that uses content marketing and visual elements to spark your interest and bring you into the Coca-Cola “journey”. The iconic brand completely reimagined the way a corporate website can look, feel and function. The site doesn’t fit into one category, but is a destination for investors, businesses and consumers. Its home page caters to all of these groups seamlessly.

Coca-Cola uses its above-the-fold assets to promote articles and videos, while the below-the-fold area features visually appealing company statistics, conversations and social elements. Again, it’s difficult to pinpoint the direction that Coca-Cola wants to take you to when arriving on the homepage, but that might be the goal – to get lost in the Coca-Cola Journey.

Pinterest.com

Category: News & Media
Design Takeaway: Images are everything.

When Pinterest pinned itself as a contender in the social scene, it did so in a way we had not yet seen. Its main content comes in the form of images, which users can pin, repin, like and comment on. Pinterest’s use of image tiles was the real groundbreaker, as many other companies – including eBay and Interscope – have imitated the design and have seen increased engagement levels. Pinterest also offers a streamlined navigational bar and search function that helps users sorts through the countless pins of Pinterest.

Moreover, while the social network still brings out all of our crafty sides, Pinterest has major e-commerce benefits, as merchants are increasing website traffic, conversions and finding creative ways to make the site grow their business.

Zappos.com

Category: Retail/Consumer Goods
Design Takeaway: Leave a trail.

Between millions of dollars of ad spend on Facebook and its partnership with Commission Junction, Zappos knows a thing or two about acquisition. The customer-first brand also knows it’s their job to provide an effortless user experience. One of the ways Zappos achieves this is through its use of breadcrumbs, which can work by either showing users other available product options or by providing a list of refinements that users have made to filter their searches (this helps users trace their searching steps).

Besides easier navigation, breadcrumbs also make the structure of your site more transparent to readers.

att.com

Category: Service Providers
Design Takeaway: Never stop innovating.

AT&T is a ubiquitous think tank that drives and delivers innovation in seemingly impossible ways. Its website, att.com, keeps up with this momentum. In 2012, the brand made several enhancements as part of its continual improvement of the online experience for its customers. Upgrades to the site design and technology have made it easier and faster for customers to get what they need, whether they are shopping, managing their accounts or need help.

For example, AT&T redesigned its account management page to make the most common tasks and most requested information easier to find.

Apple.com

Category: Tech
Design Takeaway: More is less.

There’s a reason why Apple’s product packaging is often kept as long as the products themselves. Not only is nothing about the wrapping wasteful (everything has a function), but the product inside is so high quality you are sure you’ll be able to repackage it and repurpose it.

Apple.com works in much the same way. The design takes a minimalist approach that makes the site easy to navigate and visually appealing – almost like a tablet or mobile-like experience.

Designing for Privacy & Web Success

Administrator — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:56:00 GMT

By Timothy J. Toohey, Partner at Snell & Wilmer, LLP

It is a safe prediction for 2013 that public awareness of websites’ data privacy issues will continue to increase. In the last few years, popular websites, including Google and Facebook, have been almost constantly in the news regarding alleged privacy violations. For example, in 2012 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is the primary federal regulator of privacy issues in the U.S., settled privacy violations with several prominent companies, including a record $22.5 million settlement with Google regarding its misrepresentation of privacy assurances to users of Apple’s Safari browser. In another prominent case, the FTC entered into a settlement with anonline advertising network that had secretly gathered data from millions of consumers. In addition, the FTC alleged in a complaint that the default settings of a file-sharing application, which allowed sharing of all existing files on the device with people in the consumer’s immediate vicinity and throughout the world, was an example of “unfair design.”

When used in conjunction with website design, “privacy” typically refers to the protection of a user’s personal data in reference to certain “Fair Information Principles” or FIPs. FIPs typically include limits on the collection, processing and use of personal data, limits on data retention, notice to users, individual choice or consent regarding the collection and subsequent use of personal data and transparent data processing.

In recent years, public opinion surveys indicate that users are sensitive to the privacy of their personal data online. For example, a March 2012 survey conducted by the Pew Internet Project indicates that two-thirds of those surveyed disapproved of having their personal data used to personalize search results and that the same percentage views online targeted advertising negatively. Another report found that 81 percent of parents of teens were concerned about how much information advertisers can learn about their child’s online behavior.

Federal and state regulators are also increasing attention paid to privacy issues. In addition to the Google settlement, the FTC has recently settled prominent enforcement actions against Facebook, Myspace and other sites. In December 2012, the FTC also announced a major revamp to its rules regarding the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which requires companies to get parental approval before collecting online information from children under 13 and limits collection of information regarding children. Under the revised rules, the restrictions on collection of personal information will include geolocation information, photographs and videos, as well as persistent identifiers that recognize users over time and across different websites, including IP addresses. Covered website operators, which now include third parties collecting information, as well as the websites themselves, must also adopt reasonable procedures for data retention and deletion.

At the state level, application design is receiving increasing attention from regulators concerned about user privacy. For example, the California Attorney General has released a series of privacy best practices for mobile applications that would inform users before collecting data and has sued Delta Airlines for failing to provide notice to consumers that it is collecting sensitive information on its mobile application.

Facing this myriad of challenges, website designers may be tempted to leave privacy issues to lawyers or other professionals, if and when they arise. Experience indicates that this would be a mistake. Privacy is much better addressed in an early stage of website design than after problems arise. Moreover, this is consistent with the principles of “privacy by design” that are receiving ever increasing attention from regulators, including the FTC and the White House.

According to the FTC’s 2012 report Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change, privacy by design means that “companies should promote consumer privacy throughout their organizations and at every stage of the development of their products and services.” Rather than present consumers with lengthy privacy notices, privacy by design encourages companies to incorporate FIPs, including reasonable collection limits, sound retention and disposal practices, and transparency into the entire life cycle of a product or service. Context and user expectations are also key elements of privacy by design. For example, data collection by a website should be consistent with the context of the transaction. As stated in the White House’s 2012 report Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World, which proposes a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights for online transactions, the consumer should be seen as an active participant in the online experience. Companies that collect consumer data are “stewards of data” and as such must respect consumers’ expectations regarding the collection, use and disclosure of data.

Another important aspect of privacy by design is recognizing that the relationship between consumers and the company collecting personal information through a website may change over time in unforeseeable ways. As the White House proposal recognizes, “adaptive uses of personal data may be the source of innovations that benefit consumers. However, companies must provide appropriate levels of transparency and individual choice—which may be more stringent than was necessary at the time of collection—before reusing personal data.”

For website designers, the principles underlying privacy by design may seem abstract or inconsistent with current design practices. The challenge for designers therefore is to translate privacy principles, including transparency and respect for context, into practical design practices.

Privacy researchers Ira S. Rubinstein and Nathaniel Good have recently suggested one approach to this problem that incorporates privacy by design into the established principles of user-experience design (UXD). Because UXD focuses on obtaining information concerning the interaction between users and a design to promote positive user experience, Rubinstein and Good suggest that consumers’ privacy concerns could be incorporated as part of UXD research. Along with other matters of importance to the user, such as features and user interface, UXD research could include user expectations regarding privacy, such as collection and use of personal data, data retention, and sharing of information with third parties. Armed with this research, design professionals could incorporate privacy protections into designs from the outset, rather than waiting for privacy issues to emerge after the website has launched.

In order for this approach to succeed, professionals in the website design field first need to be equipped with an understanding of what works and does not work in website privacy. Although there is a wide variety of “privacy fails,” analyzing the experience of prominent companies, such as Google and Facebook, among others, helps highlight privacy issues that may arise when the flow of personal information is obscured or when users do not understand the scope of the use of their personal information and to whom it is being disclosed. As recent examples demonstrate, companies ignoring privacy concerns may suffer significant negative consequences, including loss of user confidence, negative publicity, or regulatory actions, including consent decrees and fines. Incorporating respect for users’ privacy into the design process may not only help avoid such consequences, but also confer a competitive advantage. Meeting user expectations therefore makes good business sense in our increasingly privacy conscious world.

About the Author:

Timothy Toohey is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Snell & Wilmer L.L.P. He is a U.S. Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and an E.U. Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/E). His practice concentrates on complex litigation, intellectual property and privacy and data protection matters. Toohey has handled numerous matters related to privacy and data protection, including those involving federal, state and international laws connected to data breach and disclosure of personally identifiable information. He also has extensive experience in all elements of intellectual property counseling and litigation, including trademark, copyright and patent matters.

Mobile Apps are a $30 Billion Big Business

Allison Howen — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 19:30:00 GMT

Mobile applications are a $30 billion business, according to new Market Data from ABI Research.

The market intelligence company reveals that cumulative mobile app revenues are forecasted to pass $30 billion by the end of this year, which is nearly double the amount that was reached by the end of 2011. The cumulative revenue includes money made from pay-per-downloads, in-app purchases, subscriptions and in-app advertisements.

“Consumers’ high interest in apps has for a long time been obvious from download volumes, but it’s 2012 that will go down in history as the year when the economic side of the business finally took off,” said ABI Research Senior Analyst Aapo Markkanen. “We’re no longer talking only about a short-term gold rush. Apps have become a major digital industry.”

It is also important to note that even though Apple was the catalyst behind monetizing mobile applications, Markkanen claims that Android developers are estimated to receive about one-third of annual app revenues.

Mobile Traffic Declines in July (And More Statistics)

Michael Garrity — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 14:30:00 GMT

Affiliate Window, one of the United Kingdom’s leading performance marketing networks, has unleashed upon the world its July report concerning mobile and m-commerce statistics.

Most curiously, the company found that the share of Web traffic through mobile devices actually dropped from over 12 percent in June to making up around just nine percent of total traffic in July. This isn’t terribly peculiar, as May saw a slight decrease, as well, following month-by-month increases for the first four months of the year.

On the upside, however, the volume of mobile clicks actually increased. And not only that, but the share of sales through mobile devices also rose, finally crossing the nine percent threshold at 9.42 percent. Ultimately, this figure, coupled with the drop in traffic, seems to show a closer alignment between mobile conversion rates and those of their desktop counterparts, as mobile conversion rates improved throughout July, increasing to 3.14 percent.

The report also breaks down mobile and m-commerce statistics by mobile device. It shouldn’t really be a surprise that Apple is (still) leading the pack, with the iPhone driving 38 percent of all mobile traffic by the end of the month. However, it’s not all sunshine for the brand, as iPad traffic actually ended up dropping below 40 percent. On the other hand, iPad sales reached a high of 63 percent of all mobile sales by the end of the month, and the iPhone ended up accounting for 24.87 percent.

Android devices saw traffic increases in July, with the number resting between 18 and 19 percent, up from June’s 17.5 percent. BlackBerry and “Other” devices both decreased, driving 1.5 and two percent of July’s mobile traffic, respectively. In terms of sales, Android saw another increase, ranging between 11.5 and 13 percent throughout the four weeks of July, while BlackBerry and “Other” devices both stayed below two percent.

From a year-to-date perspective, iPads have driven 57 percent of all mobile sales, with iPhones coming in second at 27 percent, and followed by Android (11 percent), BlackBerry (3 percent) and other devices (2 percent). Adding to this, Affiliate Window found that the iPhone, Android and “Other” devices allow showed an improvement in conversion rates in July; in fact, they were all almost identical at around 2.1 percent.

I think it’s fair to say that if you take anything away from this report, it’s not to put too much stock in the future of BlackBerry.

Bypassing Apple's Rejection of UDID Apps

Michael Garrity — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:00:00 GMT

Just a few weeks ago, Apple came out and said it was going to reject iOS applications that access the host device’s Unique Device Identifier (UDID) code. This makes it very difficult, if not impossible, for developers to test and track their applications.

UDID codes are also used to help marketers target ads, which helps improve payouts for developers. Basically, this is a major inconvenience for developers who want to sell their apps in the App Store (and make some money off of them).

Though little can be done about it, there are some solutions out there that can help ease some of the strain, one of which is the LeadBolt Visitor Match tracking feature that the mobile advertising company released last October.

Visitor Match, which was built to work across a wide range of platforms, including the Android and iTunes app stores, gives advertisers a way to automatically track mobile conversions in a quick and convenient manner with highly accurate results. According to LeadBolt, the Visitor Match algorithm is able to produce a 98.7-percent accuracy rate for server-side and other conversion pixel events.

Most importantly, Visitor Match is able to track conversions even if a UDID is not present, which really helps set the feature apart and gives LeadBolt users a leg up now that Apple has completely rejected UDID-based apps.

In addition, LeadBolt just made available its iPhone advertiser software development kit (SDK) in a non-UDID version, which should also help users adjust to Apple’s recent changes.

Handwriting Recognition for iOS Apps

Pete Prestipino — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:25:00 GMT

Apple fanboys (and fangirls of course) have entered into a state of near hysteria over the release of the third generation iPad. That perhaps overly intense focus however might lead them to overlook some fabuously interesting tech now available for iOS.

Phatware just announced availability of its writePad SDK 3.0, which enables software developers to incorporate handwriting recognition into their iOS apps for iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touch devices. The WritePad SDK now boasts a handwriting recognition engine which is packaged as a single static library for all of its 11 supported languages into a single application.

The WritePad SDK recognizes natural handwritten text in a different handwriting styles including cursive, print and a mix of the two. it also recognizes dictionary and non-dictionary words such as names, numbers and mixed alphanumeric combinations. The best part however is that it does not require a user to train the software to achieve any notable level of accuracy.

WritePad SDK evaluation is free, while commercial redistribution is royalty-based. You can see the tech at work firsthand via Phatware's Writepad app in the video below.

Mobile Web Usage is Doubling Every Year

Linc Wonham — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Global Internet usage through mobile devices – not including tablets – essentially doubled from 4.3 percent in January 2011 to 8.5 percent in January 2012, according to Web analytics company StatCounter.

StatCounter also reports that the use of “mobile devices”, referring to smartphones and feature phones only in their research, to access the Internet has doubled year-over-year since 2009.

“While global Internet usage through mobiles is still under 10 percent, the pace of growth is remarkable,” says StatCounter CEO Aodhan Cullen.

StatCounter also announced the latest numbers regarding the world’s leading mobile vendors, mobile operating systems and mobile browsers, based on research covering all traffic to the StatCounter network. That data includes more than 15 billion pageviews monthly on a network of more than 3 million websites.

Most likely driven by its dominance in India, Nokia is still the world’s leading maker of mobile devices (again, phones only) in terms of Web pageviews, and Symbian maintained its lead as the top OS in the StatCounter sample. But both brands’ numbers are clearly in decline while Apple’s devices (not even including the iPad) and iOS are making dramatic gains.

Apple is the second-leading mobile device-maker worldwide but leads the U.S. and U.K. markets, and its iOS was also second worldwide with 24 percent of the Web pageviews in the StatCounter sample. Apple’s operating system was first in the U.S. with 45 percent of the views, just ahead of Android with 39 percent. Worldwide, the Android OS was again just below iOS for third place.

The Android browser was tops in North America with a 37-percent share of the pageviews, but second worldwide with 20 percent and behind Opera’s 24 percent. Apple’s Safari browser finished slightly behind Android in both samples.

The takeaway for website owners is of course the exponential rise in mobile access to the Internet since 2009 – about a 100-percent increase in each of the past three years. This should come as a surprise to no one, but it is interesting to see the numbers from different research reports from time to time. The global use of mobile devices to access the Web in 2009, according to StatCounter, was 0.7 percent. It jumped to 1.6 percent in January 2010, 4.3 percent in January 2011 and now 8.5 percent in January 2012.

Best of 2011 - Mobile Web Devices

Michael Garrity — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:00:00 GMT

The year 2011 was a pivotal one the Web, particularly as it relates the way people go about connecting to their favorite sites.

The advent of fast-emerging and rapidly growing technologies in the mobile sector has led to many users regularly accessing the Web from mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and even feature phones.

But not all of these mobile devices are created equally, so WM takes a look at some of the past year’s best and most popular gadgets for surfing the ‘Net.

iPhone 4S
When news of the iPhone 4S first dropped, some were disappointed -- to say the least. Users wanted an iPhone 5, and instead they got a revamped version of the iPhone 4. (Oh, and Siri.) Still, in the end, it was the best-selling iPhone ever despite the initially lukewarm response.

The smartphone runs on the brand new iOS 5 and offers much of the same functionality with which Apple fans and diehard iPhone users are familiar, including the old standby Safari mobile browser. With the introduction of the voice-controlled Siri, Apple also gives users a whole new way to interact with the Web on their mobile phones, as information can be accessed almost immediately. It’s likely that 2012 will finally see the release of the iPhone 5, which will possibly be a drastic reinterpretation of the device with even more sophisticated Internet capabilities.

iPad 2
Apple’s other major contribution of industry-changing technology is the iPad 2, the successor to the device that standardized tablet usage. It’s probably not a stretch to say that when people talk about tablets and tablet browsing, they’re likely thinking of using an iPad, and that kind of presence is what makes it such an important (and revolutionary) gadget.

Much faster than its predecessor, the second generation iPad is actually quite similar to its big brother when it comes to navigating on the Web, but it also presents itself as more of a content creation tool for publishing on the Web, making it a device much better suited for two-way Web needs. Like the iPhone, it comes equipped with a built-in, tablet-optimized Safari browser, and there are some impressive third-party browser options available for interested users. The second version is also powered by iOS 5.

Galaxy SII
Although it’s not nearly as revered or idolized as Apple, Samsung has proven itself to be a beyond-competent mobile developer, and the Galaxy SII is a great example of its acumen. Some have claimed that it is actually the “world’s most powerful phone to date,” backed by a dual-core 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor and running on the Android Gingerbread operating system (with an Ice Cream Sandwich update on the way).

And while being a powerful tool is critical to the demands of Web users today, the Galaxy SII goes the extra mile by providing users with a great interface for browsing that consists of a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Plus display. One review called it “the yardstick by which every other phone competing [this year] in terms of hardware specs was measured.”

Galaxy Nexus
Running on the Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS, this is widely considered to be the best Android phone ever created. By building on the successes of the Galaxy SII, Samsung was able to craft a superb device that is “everything Android ever aspired to be.”

Featuring a 4.65 inch HG Super AMOLED Contour Display and a powerful processor specifically built for faster Web browsing and multitasking, this phone is ideal for browsing the Web. So far, no better iPhone alternative has presented itself or, perhaps more importantly, had the opportunity to challenge Apple’s dominance in terms of the general public’s perception of what a smartphone can be.

Kindle Fire
No product was more hotly anticipated this year than Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet. At $199, a considerably lower price point than the iPad 2, the 7-inch tablet is a great alternative to Apple’s industry-dominating device, especially as it allows for easy access into any of Amazon’s other online properties, most notably the Kindle Store, Amazon Prime and Amazon Cloud Storage.

The Kindle Fire runs on a customized version of the Android Gingerbread OS and features a brand new Web browser, Amazon Silk, which has received mixed reviews so far. Though the Kindle Fire may not be the optimal mobile device for using the Web, there is no denying the impact it has had on the tablet market. By dropping the price point significantly, Amazon has opened up tablet adoption to a whole new range of consumers, and the screen size was successful enough that there isn’t any shortage of rumors that Apple will release a 7 inch “mini” version of the iPad 3 in 2012. In short, thanks to Amazon and the Kindle Fire, tablet consumption is becoming even more mainstream.

Final Cut Pro X Updates Released

Michael Garrity — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:00:00 GMT

Recently, Apple released the first major update to their wildly popular Final Cut Pro X video editing software. The upgrade includes a host of new features that Apple says have been highly sought-after by professional customers.

Probably the biggest new feature is XML support, which adds the option to import and export projects and events in the XML format. This will allow users to work on XML formatted projects in Final Cut Pro X, thus addressing one of the biggest concerns among the users of the software, who often found themselves unable to open old Final Cut Pro projects in their new version of the program. Though it is indirect, the update will let users export a file from Final Cut Pro 7 in XML, and then open it up by importing it into Final Cut Pro X.

Additionally, Apple has been working to make Final Cut Pro more compatible with new technology being released by camera manufacturers by offering a new software development kit; this kit lets camera makers write plugins for their new cameras into Final Cut Pro X.

But, that's not all.

Here is a list of some of the other new features added to Final Cut Pro X:

- Support for projects and events through Xsan
- Support for media stems (or audio channeling) that lets users assign roles to media after it is imported into a project, which makes it easy to export things like dialogue, sound effects and soundtracks in a single pass
- Custom starting timecodes
- Toggle for a full-screen view (only for Mac OS X Lion users)
- GPU-accelerated export
- A new theme known as "Tribute"
- One-step transitions on connected clips

In an effort to entice people to switch to Final Cut Pro, or for users of Final Cut Pro 7 users to upgrade, Apple is currently offering a free trial Final Cut Pro X, as well as publishing a PDF guide called "Final Cut Pro X for Final Cut Pro 7 Editors."

Those interested in checking out Final Cut Pro X, with all of its new updates, can access the 30-day free trial here.

Newsstand App Coming from Digital Publishing Suite

Michael Garrity — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:00:00 GMT

I don't know how something like this hasn't been developed yet for the iPad, and how it wasn't Apple that jumped on the idea, but Adobe's Digital Publishing Suite is currently developing Newsstand, a brand new application for iOS5 that will play the role of digital storefront for magazines and newspapers.

First, let's drop some knowledge. Facts and figures show that iPad sales continue to push forward, with over 2.5 million of the tablets sold over the last fourteen months. That's a lot, to be sure, but what's important to note is that with more people buying tablets, the purposes many have for acquiring them are also expanding. No longer are users just young people who want to play games and use the Internet and social media; in fact, now over half of all tablet owners use them to read newspapers and/or magazines.

However, the folks over at Adobe noticed a problem: the discoverability of magazine and newspaper apps is much lower than that of their counterparts, such as games, videos, plug-ins and other content. Moreover, since these tablets have a limited screen area, these reader apps can quickly get pushed to the back. While a Forrester study shows that tablet owners typically download an average of 17 applications, some feel that if iPad owners start (or, in some cases, continue) to download apps as ravenously as iPhone owners, these reader apps will get lost in the shuffle.

But if digital publishing is supposed to be the future, and trust me, publishing companies are banking on it, driving awareness of these various reader apps is crucial. Promoting an app, marketing digital content to print subscribers and leveraging social media are just a few of the methods that companies currently use to metaphoically get their publications into customers' hands. This is why Adobe's Newsstand can be a powerful tool for publishers.

Newsstand will provide readers with access to their favorite subscriptions from one central location as soon as they become available and, this is key, allow the readers to view the issue from outside of the magazine or newspaper's regular application. The application will offer full support for subscriptions so that publishers can created Newsstand-enabled apps, which will drastically incread the discoverability of their content and, if all goes according to plan, increase subscription sales and advertising revenue.

Here's the best part, or at least the most convenient. Applications that are created with Digital Publishing Suite to be detected by Newsstand will automatically be downloaded to the Newsstand app's shelf. This means no long download times to bother with on the user's part; in fact, it means no downloading at all on the user's part. The latest issues of their magazine or newspaper subscriptions will just be immediately placed on their shelf and ready to go as soon as they become available. These Suite-created Newsstand apps will also display on the shelf with the covers of the latest issue, which gives the whole thing a very inviting look.

According to Adobe, publishers will be able to start building apps for Newsstand shortly after the release of iOS5 and the Newsstand application.

What Steve Jobs and Apple Have Done for Businesses

Allison Howen — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 02:00:00 GMT

In light of the changes that are brewing over at Apple, here is a look at how Steve Jobs has built the company to become one of the most profitable and dependable companies for businesses, and people, in the U.S. and around the world.

The History

Many moons ago, most businesses didn’t even use computers, believe it or not, but that all changed in the 1980s thanks to a host of innovations coming out of Silicon Valley in California, many of which were pioneered by Jobs and Apple.

Today, Macs are the go-to standard computers for many industries and have been for well over a decade.

The innovations that Jobs and partner Steve Wozniak made in personal computing during the late 70s and early 80s are widely known and often imitated, and many of their creations have helped to popularize personal computer usage.

Of course, as the story goes, Bill Gates and Microsoft won the Silicon Valley War of the 80s and Windows was unquestionably the dominant name in technology during the 90s. However, in 1996, Jobs returned to Apple and re-imagined the company’s future. The result would, as Apple found itself doing many times in the coming decade and a half, permanently change the way businesses use computers.

Mac

Today’s Macintosh variants, known as the iMac, run on Apple’s Mac OS and offer business owners many unique and inventive features.

The computers use an iPad or iPhone-like interface (which, at this point, is familiar to almost everyone, even those who don’t own either device) that handles a variety of applications that can be relevant to almost any business. Among these applications are some Apple standards that prove to be both simple and useful: Safari, their built-in Web browser, iCal, a calendar app that lets users maintain schedules, appointments and to-dos, Address Book and Time Machine, which allows you to easily back up your data in case of an emergency. Macs can also be integrated with little to no effort with iPhones or iPads, two of the most widely-used smartphones and tablets, respectively.

The Mac OS Dashboard allows users to easily track everything that is running on their computer at one time, which makes navigating through and keeping tabs on everything you’re doing much simpler.

Part of why Macs have caught on for many businesses is because of their strong, natural defenses that are built into them. Apple’s safe and secure design protects them against almost all types of viruses or malware by providing in-depth security at all levels of operation, from hardware to OS to apps. Macs provide businesses with a simple and cheap method of keeping their hardware functioning and their data safe.

Macs also offer compatibility with the always popular Microsoft Office line of software, which is usually the default software used by businesses who start out using PCs. This makes the transition from PC to Mac mostly seamless and helps Mac users by giving them an option for sharing files among customers or coworkers who may be using Office. What makes this unique to Apple is that they build their Macs with the intention of being Office and PC-file compatible, so there is no messy transition and data can be easily transferred among the two.

iPhone and iPad

Just like anything Apple does, these two products have changed everything.

When the original iPhone was released in 2007, the mobile industry did not know what hit them. Consumers gravitated from feature phones to smart phones the same way that bees gravitate to flowers.

The iPhone soon became a top pick for people within the business world, not only for its email, calendar and GPS capabilities, but also because of the compatible software like iTunes and the App store.

As newer versions of the iPhone are released, better features for businesses have also arrived, such as apps that allow for sharing, editing and viewing documents like Pages, Quickoffice and GoDocs. Other apps like Dropbox, Evernote and WebEx Meeting Center, also prove valuable with features that make keeping up with online meetings, managing to-do lists and accessing business data on the go easier. However, these apps are only a glimpse of the more than 425,000 apps currently available in the App Store.

This brings us to the iPad— the mother of all tablets.

This tablet, originally released in 2010, is only in its second generation, yet it already has been implemented into many businesses. It has the app power of the iPhone, yet with the web-surfing capability of a laptop. The iPad can be valuable to almost any type of business, with abilities to share Keynote and Powerpoint presentations, view and edit important files and access CRM databases.

Most recently, United Airlines has even implemented the iPad into their cockpits by giving all of their pilots iPads to replace paper flight manuals. Additionally, the iPad has been a good tool for the e-commerce world. With apps like Catalogue from The Find and Google Catalogs, the iPad has given e-commerce merchants a new avenue to display and sell their products to consumers.

Both of these products have changed how media works. From iTunes to the App store, these devices and their software have stayed unique and innovative— and the proof is shown in Apple’s earnings— With more than 20.34 million iPhones and 9.25 million iPads sold.

iCloud

Though the revelation of the iCloud is a fairly recent one, signs point to Apple’s foray into cloud technology could have major implications for businesses in the future.

Many forecasters see the iCloud as being especially useful for businesses and professionals who often find themselves out of the office or on site and who need immediate and easy access to various data, such as documents, images or sound clips.

In short, iCloud could allow businesses to put all of the electronic data that they need in one place, which could be especially useful for small business owners. The cloud will work like a hard drive that businesses can use to store data in, but that can also be accessed from numerous devices.

Of course, as is the case with Apple, their own products and hardware will be the most easily integrated with the iCloud. Business owners who use Macs, iPhones, iPads or all three will have easy compatibility and access to the iCloud, eliminating the hassle of trying to manage all of their data among multiple devices and locations.

The Difference

What really sets Apple apart from other computer hardware and software companies, though, is their support. They offer one of the most knowledgeable and helpful support staffs available on the market, because even those owners who fancy themselves to be highly computer literate may be lacking in some areas. Besides that, business owners, especially those running a small or medium-sized business, are always busy and may not have time to sit down and hammer out a hardware or software problem. Since Apple integrates all of their own products rather than bringing in a different OS to run on their devices, any and all questions that an owner may have can be answered in one convenient location. This saves both time and money for business owners in need of a quick computer fix.

Five Smart Back-to-School Affiliate Programs

Linc Wonham — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:00:00 GMT

It’s mid-July and much of the country is sweltering in temperatures near 100 degrees, which means it is time to be thinking about back-to-school deals. For affiliate marketers, that means partnering with the retailers that give them the best chances to rake in substantial commissions from now until Labor Day.

We’ve done our homework on the subject and below are five programs that make the grade:

Macy’s
Few retailers are pushing harder to become the go-to destination for back-to-school shoppers than Macy’s is right now. They’ve just announced several new initiatives offering exclusive fashion brands, family-oriented activities and charitable partnerships with Reading is Fundamental, DoSomething.org and the new online Web series, Wendy. Macy’s affiliates earn generous commissions with the average online purchase value being $120, and the program is run through LinkShare.

Wet Seal
This hip clothing retailer is a favorite among young women for having its finger on the fashion pulse and also for its generous discounts. Whether returning to high school or college, millions of girls will be turning to Wet Seal for the latest styles at prices a student can afford. The company knows its way around the Web and social media marketing, and its affiliate program is run through the Google Affiliate Network.

Sephora
If Wet Seal provides a good fit for your site, many of the same shoppers will be visiting Sephora next. The JCPenney property carries hundreds of top brands in makeup and accessories, as well as a full line of men’s products to help returning students start the semester in style. The affiliate program is run therough the LinkShare network, and offers tiered commissions from 5 to 7 percent.

Apple
Apple’s back-to-school promotions are legendary, and the most recent one is going on right now through September 20. Students buying a qualifying Mac product will receive a $100 Back to School Card to redeem at the Mac Store, App Store, iTunes Store or iBookstore. Apple affiliates earn tiered commissions by selling widely used products such as the brand new Macbook Airs that are sure to be on millions of students’ back-to-school lists this summer.

Office Max
Whether it be simple supplies such as paper and pens, a stockpile of accessories for that new Apple product or office furniture for the dorm or bedroom, few students are able to avoid shopping at Office Max when the summer winds down. Run through the Google Affiliate Network, the program offers commissions ranging from 4 to 6 percent.

iAd Gallery Shows Advertisers the Way

Mike Phillips — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:09:00 GMT

If your business is considering running mobile ad campaigns (or already running them) have a look at a new app from Apple, iAd Gallery. Here, advertisers can browse through the latest mobile ads from some of the top advertisers and innovators in the industry; including American Express, BMW and McDonald's.

Ads can be searched, sorted or simply browsed. Also included are the agencies responsible for each ad. Overall, it's a nice way to keep tabs on what the big agencies and advertisers are doing, and what consumers are being exposed to, in order to help create and plan your next interactive mobile ad, whether on Apple's system or elsewhere.

Those interested in the app will need the iPhone 4.2.6 software update.

Google Zeitgeist 2010 Insights: How 'Bout Them Apples?

Mike Phillips — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:00:00 GMT

Google's annual analysis of search, Zeitgeist, has been released for 2010. Along with some unsurprising results - such as leading events of the Haiti earthquake, Chile and ... Justin Bieber - there are some interesting observations to be made; most notably that Apple is in the driver's seat.

The fastest rising search term of all in 2010 was "Chatroulette", the pseudo social network where one can video chat with strangers around the world. The search term dipped a bit after April and a wave of issues surrounding security and obscenity but is again on the rise. It's interesting to note that the United States was not in the top 10, when it comes to regional interest in the term.

"Twitter" makes an appearance in the top 10, as the eighth-fastest rising search of 2010, beating out "Facebook" at #10.

The second-fastest rising search term in 2010 was "iPad", which also led the way in fastest rising searches in the Consumer Electronics category. Also in that category was "iPhone 4" (#2) and "Nokia 5530" (#3). "BlackBerry Apps" came in at #6.

The Fastest Falling category sees "Swine Flu" at #1 and includes "Susan Boyle" (#5) and "MySpace Layouts" (#8). Looks like all those budding designers and hacks need a new network.

U.S. Only - Apple Domination

When looking at U.S.-only data, the Fastest Rising search term was "iPad", followed by "Chatroulette" at #2 and "iPhone 4" at #3. Apple makes other Fastest Rising appearances under Google News (#8), Google Image Search ('iPhone' #8, 'iPad' #10), Google Maps ('Apple Store' #8) and Google Product Search ('iPad' #1, 'iPhone 4 Cases' #10). If you're keeping score, that puts Apple in the top 10 of five of the six U.S. Zeitgeist categories (not including People.) The sixth category, if you were wondering, is Fastest Falling.

It's good to be Apple. Or, any business that can benefit from Apple. What Apple terms are particularly hot at this moment? Using Google Insights for Search, we can see rising searches of "Apple iPad" (of course), "Apple Announcement" (attention, bloggers) and "Verizon iPhone." It might be a good idea to look at long-tail "Apple" terms to see if your business can get in on the action.

As an aside, the U.S. Fastest Rising search category includes "Facebook" at #7 ... but no "Twitter." Also notable is that when you search "Twitter" with Google Insights for Search, "Twitter en Espanol" and "Twitter Espanol" are the two fastest rising terms. In addition, Zeitgeist for Mexico shows Fastest Rising searches "Facebook en Espanol" (#3) and "Twitter en Espanol" (#4). Food for thought.