Category Archives: Mobile Apps

Skycam: A simple $99 remote webcam solution that uses Skype

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Looking for a remote webcam solution for monitoring the home or office? There’s no lack of such products, but they often require a monthly fee and have either confusing software or a setup process that’s too complicated for many. A new Indiegogo project kicked off on Monday for Skycam, which solves all of these challenges thanks to Skype.

SkycamsFor $99, project backers get a Skycam webcam that can record video on a micro SD card. Of course, you can access the camera remotely in real-time from practically any connected PC or Mac, tablet or mobile phone running iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8 or BlackBerry. The secret sauce here is the use of Skype.

To set up the Skycam, you simply add it to your Skype account where it becomes one of your favorite contacts. Want to pop in and check on the pets? Just call your Skycam through the standard Skype application:

I’ve actually set up several different remote access webcams in my home over the past few years and I have to say: I think more simplicity is needed for these products. Each camera I’ve used has its own software, which typically isn’t the greatest quality. I often rely on third-party apps to access the cameras, but even these have their quirks. And gaining true remote access to a home-based camera typically requires firewall configuration, static IP addresses and — in some cases — a third-party DNS solution.

Skype petsThat’s why I think this project is on to something. It alleviates all of the challenges I just outlined and makes a remote webcam more of an easy to use appliance. And it does so with software that’s commonly used already. I also like how this isn’t a standard webcam you’d typically use for video chatting: Skycam can be used to monitor a dark or lowly lit room; a feature I like on my existing webcams.

With a built-in microphone and speaker, you can even use Skycam to chat with someone nearby the camera. Of course, you’ll see them, but they won’t see you. I do wish the Skycam had tilt and pan capabilities, but that would be tricky to implement with Skype as the underlying transport solution. And it would complicate what looks to be an economical and simple way to monitor a remote area.


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iOS And Android App Ads Can Reach A Huge, If Fragmented, Audience [Study]

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Flurry_Apps_vs_Computers

Advertising and mobile analytics company, Flurry, has released some new stats on the reach that mobile apps seem to be enjoying. The take-away here is that the number of people using mobile apps in any given day, at least the apps that Flurry tracks, seems to be growing into a sizable group of people, albeit a bit fragmented across platforms and devices.

Flurry estimates that there were 224 million active mobile users in apps tracked this past February across iOS and Android, which is a bit more than the number of active users (221 million) during the same month on laptop or desktop computers, as measured by comScore, a similar company that tracks computer user data.

Flurry_Apps_vs_Newspapers_TV

Flurry’s data also suggests that there is a prime time of app use in the evening hours on all days of the week with an active audience of approximately 52 million users during these golden hours. This compares nicely with the number of folks receiving the top 200 newspapers on the weekend in the US, or the number of people tracked watching the top three US primetime TV shows during primetime.

The implications of this are fairly clear: people are using apps with advertising in them in the same numbers, in generally the same hourly times as other traditional media like newspapers, computers, and television. That says that advertisers should be looking as closely at Android and iOS mobile apps as similar in scope and power as the traditional media buys, even if the audience is fragmented across devices and systems.

Think of it this way, if a savvy advertiser figures out how to hit the 52 million individuals using their mobile phone or tablet during prime time hours, they’ve just reached an audience similar in size to that of a traditional TV media buy. While the television advertising may only need to show up on three television shows, it’s doubtful that all the app users are watching the same TV shows during their app use, thereby offering advertisers yet another stream of eyeballs for their wares.

The days of “maybe we should look at mobile apps for our ads” are over. If advertisers want to reach large, growing numbers of affluent, interested individuals–and there’s no sign that this trend is slowing down–mobile apps on both iOS and Android are the place to be.

Source: Flurry
Via: The Appside

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Crowdsourced network tester OpenSignal releases on iPhone app

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It took three years, but OpenSignal finally has an iPhone app that will measure and track the performance of any mobile network it runs over. OpenSignal has been using its Android app to keep tabs on carriers’ networks around the world, crowdsourcing that data into detailed reports.

Why participate in OpenSignal’s crowdsourcing operations? Think of it as a symbiotic relationship – consumers get benefit out of the app’s features as well. You can use the app as a speed test tool to see if your carrier is living up to its mobile data claims, and it will keep a record of your own data, text, and minute usage.

The app also serves as a signal finder. It will point you in the direction of your carrier’s nearest cell tower and even find nearby open Wi-Fi access points if you’re looking for a faster connection. And if you happen to be shopping around for another service provider, the app will let you compare the performance of different carrier networks in your area.

Ironically, U.K.-based OpenSignal has been using its Android app data for years to extrapolate iPhone performance on U.S. networks. With the new iOS software, it will be able to track iPhone performance directly, as well as tap into a potentially huge pool of new crowdsourcers.


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ABI thinks 2013 is the year developers go Android first, but I doubt it

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Google Android will not only account for the majority of an expected 56 billion smartphone app downloads this year, but it will be the primary platform of choice for many more mobile app developers. So says ABI Research, which published on Monday its 2013 forecast of mobile app downloads by platform for both smartphones and tablets.

Android is bigger for phone apps, but Apple owns the tablet app market

Android app downloads on phones will consume 58 percent of the market this year, while programs for Apple’s iPhone will account for 33 percent. Windows Phone at 4 percent and BlackBerry capturing 3 percent will make up the total, according to ABI. The tables will turn on tablets, however, as ABI expects Apple’s iPad to commandeer three-fourths of the 14 billion mobile app downloads for tablets in 2013. Not counting Amazon’s tablets, Android will only pick up 17 percent of the tablet app market.

So why might Android be the first choice of smartphone app developers this year? Because of “its vast installed base and the generally improved conditions for app building,” according to the ABI report. I’m not so sure, and I say that as someone who uses multiple platforms but generally relies on Google’s products.

android-lineup-of-phones

There’s certainly no debate over which smartphone platform is outpacing the other. While Apple had a blockbuster first fiscal quarter with 46.7 million iPhones sold, Google activates more than 1.3 million Android devices per day as of six months ago. Based on sales estimates, most of those are phones, not tablets. All evidence points to Android phones outselling iPhones by some amount.

But that’s been the case for some time and very few top-tier apps have arrived first on Android phones. The best I’ve really seen is more simultaneous releases for iOS and Android. Not much has changed, even though Android is the smartphone market sales leader. So why does ABI suspect phone sales volumes will suddenly matter in 2013?

Money matters

It is possible that Android’s development tools are improving enough to cause some mobile app shops to reconsider their iOS-first approach. There’s another challenge that’s part of the equation, however: The price that smartphone owners are willing to pay for apps on their platform of choice.

Simply put: Data suggests that iPhone owners are still willing to pay more for an app. The Wall Street Journal emphasizes this point today in article on app economics:

“As of the end of 2012, the average price for a paid app in the Apple app store was $3.18 on an iPhone and $4.44 on an iPad, according to research firm Distimo. That compares with an average $3.06 in the Google Play store and $2.84 on Amazon Inc.’s app store.”

Sure, developers can make up any shortfall in a lower per-unit price through volumes but if that were the secret sauce, it would have started when Android overtook iOS in smartphone market share.

Tablets can influence the smartphone app market

ABI’s tablet data also adds to my skepticism of an Android-first approach.  If Apple has a large majority of tablets, I’d argue it actually makes iOS more desirable as the development platform of choice.  Why? Because of Apple’s universal app approach that allow developers to create one app that essentially works on both iPhones and iPads.

Thirst iPad app search news readerAndroid apps can be developed with a similar approach, but I find that few Android tablet apps are as good as their phone counterparts. Either developers aren’t taking advantage of Google’s development tools or they’re just stymied by the many resolutions found on Android tablets.

In either case, while some mobile app developers will choose Android before iOS in 2013, I don’t think we’ll see a big shift this year, barring any major Android developments that cause app owners to pay a little more for mobile software.


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How to use your phone to get things done: Any.DO’s daily moment

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A nifty little update to one of my favorite free task management smartphone apps makes it even better. Both the latest iPhone and Android versions of Any.DO help bring focus to daily tasks with a fun feature called Any.DO Moment. Instead of manually waiting for — and possibly putting off — a time to review your tasks, Any.DO Moment helps plan your day every morning.

The new feature is configurable to run at a specific time on any day of the week. When that time hits, the application opens and quickly walks through all of your open tasks.

For each of these, you simply tap the appropriate planning option: Today, Later, Done, Delete. Choosing Today or Later provides additional options for specific times or future dates. Any.DO will then juggle the tasks around to the days of your choice, or remove any tasks you mark as complete. The end result? You’ve done a daily task review and have a better handle on what needs to be done today:

Not only does the Any.DO Moment feature help bring focus to the day; it does so in way that’s fast, intuitive and somewhat fun. And this approach can help improve productivity, based on Any.DO’s own internal data. Says Any.DO CEO Omer Perchik:

“We’ve been testing the feature secretly in the past month and we’re seeing over 30 percent increase in engagement and over 20 percent improvement in retention. The feedback is simply remarkable. We keep receiving emails from people who say they feel far more organized and relaxed since they started using the Any.DO Moment. “

More organized and relaxed? Yup, I can see that after using Any.DO Moment on my mobile phones.

I’m no longer looking at my task list as an annoyance, but more as a tool to get things done.  Instead of being overwhelmed with an ever-growing list of activities, I feel like I’m in better control of my activities. A scheduled daily review of tasks — good practice regardless of the tool involved — combined with a fast, simple mobile interface definitely make it easier to get things done.


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Wahoo’s new RFLKT is a second screen, iPhone bike computer

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Cyclists that ride with an iPhone may be interested in the RFLKT from Wahoo Fitness, which debuted on Wednesday. The device, pronounced like the word “reflect,” is aptly named because it’s not quite a cycling computer by itself.

Instead, Wahoo bills it as an “iPhone powered bike computer,” which is a very accurate description: the small device acts as a second screen and interface for iOS cycling apps.

That means the RFLKT by itself is simply a display with a Bluetooth radio inside. But when paired with an iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 and a GPS application used to track cycling activities, you won’t need to pull out your phone to see speed, cadence, distance and other data on your rides. Here’s how Wahoo describes it:

“The RFLKT wirelessly receives all App data and ride info from the iPhone 4S and/or iPhone 5 via Bluetooth Smart. Equipped with control buttons, cyclists can operate their favorite iPhone cycling App, toggle between screens, start/stop intervals and even control iPhone functionality such as music playback all from the RFLKT, while the iPhone remains safely in a jersey pocket or bike mounted compartment. RFLKT’s sleek profile and lowly 2 ounce weight, make it virtually unnoticeable when mounted, while the coin cell operated battery has a life of over one year and requires no charging. “

You could always mount your iPhone to your bike’s handlebars to accomplish the same thing, but I like what the RFLKT offers because I don’t want my iPhone out in the elements when weather is iffy.

With this weather- and shock-proof wireless solution, the iPhone can be bagged — a plastic sandwich bag is perfect for this — and placed in a protective pocket. And there’s no functionality loss because the Bluetooth connection between the RFLKT and the phone is two-way, meaning you can still manage lap times and such in your app. Take a look:

Wahoo Fitness is selling the RFLKT online for $129.99 and is the device is open so that it could be used with practically any cycling app — Wahoo has its own, of course. That’s great, but it will depend on third-party developers to add RFLKT support for their app so if you use different exercise tracking software title now, you may have to wait a bit and hope that your favorite app supports this new gadget.


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Which apps will drain your battery and data plan? Verizon’s got a list

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Verizon Wireless may have shut down its own app store, but it’s not wiping its hands of app curation entirely. The carrier has started reviewing, rating and recommending Android and iPhone apps to its customers.

What’s interesting about Verizon’s approach is it isn’t making its recommendations based on how entertaining, useful or fun a particular app is. Instead a team of Verizon engineers is looking at each app’s impact on the phone’s battery life, its drain on a customer’s data plan and how loosely it plays with security and customer privacy.

Basically, Verizon is compiling a series of regularly updated recommendation lists. The first is a list of 20 apps available either for Android or iOS that Verizon claims deliver a “best in class” experience on smartphones and tablets. As you might expect, Verizon isn’t being entirely objective in its choices, but it never claimed to be. One of the apps is even Verizon’s own AppLuvr software, which recommends other apps based on what’s already installed on smartphones.

Verizon App rating FacebookThe second list applies a much more visible methodology, rating the top 25 free and top 25 paid apps in Google Play based on three criteria: security, battery consumption and data usage. The third set of reviews is essentially Verizon’s naughty list: 13 apps – all games – that will drain your battery or eat up your data plan at a rapid clip.

Verizon isn’t making any friends here among the game development shops. Enormously popular games like Halfbrick’s Fruit Ninja Free and OMGPOP’s Draw Something got bad marks because of their battery drain. Other apps like Facebook Messenger and eBay scored relatively high but were penalized because of their high data consumption.

That may come us a surprise to many users since Facebook and eBay wouldn’t appear to consume that much data, especially compared to streaming multimedia apps like Pandora and Netflix, which received the highest possible Verizon ratings. But what Verizon is likely highlighting here is the persistence of those two apps’ connections. While Facebook might consume only a tiny fraction of the data in a single hour than, say, a Netflix video stream, the social networking app is always running in the background – transmitting a constant stream of signaling traffic over the network and whittling away at your data plan.

Alcatel-Lucent recently analyzed the enormous impact Facebook has on mobile networks through that signaling traffic. On Nov. 15, the social networking giant updated its iOS and Android apps, precipitating a 60 percent boost in Facebook signal load on mobile networks, even though the number of new Facebook mobile users increased only 4 percent in the same time frame. Alcatel-Lucent now estimates that Facebook is responsible for more than 15 percent of all mobile signaling traffic and accounts for more than 20 percent of all network airtime.

Alcatel-Lucent Facebook signaling chart

Carriers have long implored developers to keep the constraints of mobile networks in mind and build more efficient apps. With these rankings Verizon could be upping that pressure, punishing developers who keep developing unnecessarily chatty software.

As you might expect, neither Facebook Messenger or the main Facebook app made Verizon’s list of “must have apps” (though eBay did). Verizon, however, named Facebook’s much more network-efficient Instagram photo-sharing app in its top 20. I doubt Facebook cares either way.

Any time a carrier produces a must-have list you should take it with a grain of salt, but I will give Verizon credit. It actually recommended Tango, an over-the-top voice, video and messaging app that competes directly with Verizon’s core voice and SMS services.


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Which iPhone app may get you into Stanford? The one you make

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Standing out from the crowd of applicants vying to get into Stanford University’s Computer Science undergraduate program is no easy task. That’s not surprising, given the high rankings Stanford has: U.S. News rated it No. 2 for Computer Science in 2012, for example. With such a reputation, the competition for admission is fierce. So how does one think outside the box and grab the attention of admissions officers? Write an iPhone app!

That’s exactly what Alex Greene did, which I think is brilliant and gives new meaning to the phrase, “There’s an app for that.” Greene’s software isn’t something that anyone else would use, as it’s very specific. Basically, in a fun way, it explains who he is and why he wants to attend Stanford after high school.

Have a look:

Is the app glitzy and full of features? No, not at all. But in building the app, Greene would have my attention if I were on the admissions committee. Greene spent the time to add something extra to his application package while at the same time demonstrating that he’s got a passion for his intended course of study. Apparently, there really is an app for everything.


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How we’ll know when Google Play really has caught up to the iOS App Store

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Apple pioneered the modern mobile app market, made smartphone apps massively popular and created a new industry. But it’s not alone at the top anymore: Bloomberg Businessweek  posted a good feature Tuesday showing how in recent years Android has largely caught up to iOS in a number of important metrics. Through smart hires on the Google Play team, outreach to developers and improvements on the technical side of Android’s developer framework, mobile developers are focusing more on Android than ever before.

But there’s also some important stuff not mentioned.

The post notes that developers’ Android revenues are climbing rapidly (but it doesn’t actually say how far behind Android still is) and that the number of apps available is essentially even — in October both Google Play and iOS App Store claimed 700,000 apps for sale. As a result, several developers are quoted saying that while Apple’s App Store is still preferable for a variety of reasons, it’s the rate at which Android is growing that is catching their eyes.

While the ability for developers to make money from Android is indeed catching up to that of iOS, it’s still behind. And that’s a big metric: as BW notes in the post, iOS app sales still generate 3.5 times as much revenue as Android apps.

But most importantly, there were no specific examples of appmakers choosing or preferring Android in place of iOS — or launching on Android first instead of iOS. There is a reference to Ngmoco, maker of popular iPhone games like Rolando and Star Defense, “in some cases developing for Google first.” But a few paragraphs later, the CEO of Ngmoco says, “We treat Android and Apple the same. They are equal partners to us and we put equal amounts of resources toward both platforms.”

iPhoneappsThis is good news for Android, and is part of the shifting dynamic between the two leading mobile platforms over the last year. Big developers just can’t overlook Android, as Ngmoco, Major League Baseball, and the other makers of popular apps quoted in the story make clear.

However, the piece doesn’t really discuss smaller or unknown teams of developers. The iOS App Store is littered with examples of highly regarded apps that are still either picking iOS first or developing for both but prioritizing iOS — rolling features out there first, hiring more iOS developers, etc. It’s not universal though: A quick poll on Twitter brought up some good examples of mid-size developer teams doing the opposite and going Android first, like Out of Milk and Any.DO (the latter of which has received funding from Innovation Endeavors, whose co-founder is Google Chairman Eric Schmidt) and then building the app for iOS users.

But those two examples aren’t exactly megahits. Where is Android’s Angry Birds? Or its Instagram?

Yes, obviously the game and the photo app are both on Android now. But where’s Android’s killer, break-out (non-Google, for obvious reasons) app that explodes on the platform and leaves iOS users clamoring for it? Vine, for instance, is the buzzy mobile app of the moment, and as is par for the course for these things, it’s iOS only. This tweet (excuse the indelicate language) shows that when it comes to the biggest app launches, Android still isn’t first for a lot of the most important mobile companies.

When we start seeing the inverse of that tweet, and the big name developers — that don’t have any direct business interest in Google — are bypassing iOS in favor of Android, that’s when we’ll know that Android has reached true parity.

This post was updated at 3:25 p.m. PT. to note that Any.DO is backed by Innovation Endeavors, not Google Ventures, as previously stated.


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FTC: Kids app makers aren’t taking privacy seriously

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Children’s app developers may need to start reconsidering how they build their apps in light of more pressure from the Federal Trade Commission, which intensified its scrutiny of kids app makers and the privacy policies they employ. The FTC on Monday released its second report on privacy and disclosure practices of children’s mobile apps and found there was little progress by app ecosystem members on how transparent apps and app stores were about their policies.

The report, which examined more than 400 children’s apps in Google Play and the Apple App Store, found:

  • About 80 percent of apps don’t disclose privacy policies in the app or on a website.
  • 59 percent of apps transmit information from the device to the app developer or more often to a third party such as an ad network or analytics company.
  • 58 percent of apps contain advertising, but only 15 percent disclose that to app users.
  • 22 perent of apps reviewed have social media links with only 9 percent sharing that fact.
  • And 17 percent allowed in-app purchases within their app.

The app industry has not made significant movement on providing parents with more information about what happens in these apps, said Jessica Rich, associate director of the FTC’s Division of Financial Practices. She said some apps could be in violation of current privacy laws for children. The FTC is now conducting non-public investigations of some apps though Rich declined to say which apps were being reviewed.

She said the danger to children from these apps could come from inappropriate ad targeting of children, sharing a child’s location or opening them up to messaging from outsiders.

“It’s important for kids’ privacy that there be better disclosures and accurate disclosures for parents on what’s happening to kids data,” Rich said.

smartphone, childrenThe FTC is urging the industry to better incorporate privacy protection into the mobile products; offer better information to parents about what’s happening in their apps and choices for data collection and sharing; and offer more transparency about the usage and collection of data.

Rich said the FTC has authority under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) as well as the regular FTC rules against unfair and deceptive practices. While Rich is waiting on app ecosystem members to address its concerns, the biggest motivation might come from new revisions the FTC submitted for COPPA in September. Those changes would strengthen online privacy protections and specifically treat device ID information and geolocation data more strictly.

That means a developer may potentially be investigated for sharing device IDs or location data with third parties. That could also have larger implications for bigger developers who make apps for a general audience but are used by children. Device ID and location data can be key components in helping target ads to mobile users based on their behavior and whereabouts. And analytics are important for understanding how an app is being used and how it can be improved.

Apple has come up with its own system for advertisers who want to track users called Identifier for Advertisers, which replaces the old UDID system. But as my colleague Erica Ogg recently pointed out, many advertisers are not making the switch right away from UDID, which provides a chance for better tracking of individuals.

The app market is still so relatively new and many developers are struggling just to make money. We haven’t seen a lot of nightmare cases stemming from the abuse of children’s mobile app data. But the FTC campaign should remind developers that kids apps require a lot more attention to privacy.

Images courtesy of Flickr users umpcportal.com and Tran Duc Tai