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Car keys can be the bane of our existence, especially if you’re the type of person that constantly loses things. It seems almost impossible to keep track of them sometimes. Car keys are expensive because of the modern technology that’s used to make them. At a dealer ship you could be paying more than $100 for an Audi car key replacement. However, with these apps and gadgets you might find yourself losing your car keys a lot less often and spending a lot less money to get them replaced.

Tile

The Tile is an ingenious little gadget and app set that will help you keep track of everything, including your car keys. You can either stick it to something or attach it with a keyring and it with the app on your phone you will be able to find it. It has a range of different features that can be accessed through the app. You can command the tile to emit a noise so that you can locate it and whatever it’s attached to. If it’s too far away for you to hear the app will show you the Tile’s GPS location on a map and lead you to it. But, what if you’re too far away for the app to track? Well, thanks to crowdsourcing, your Tile app can use the information on other people’s apps to find your Tile. If someone with the Tile app installed on their phone walks near your lost Tile the information in your app will be updated right away and it will tell you where your Tile was traced.

What you’ve lost wasn’t attached to the Tile? Thankfully, you can use the app’s map to retrace your steps. The Tile tracks wherever it goes so you can double back and pick up whatever it is you’ve dropped. But, you’re probably wondering ‘what if I’ve lost my phone?’. Well, the Tile can work the other way as well. If you can’t find your phone all you have to do is press the button on the Tile and it will ring your phone. You phone’s ring tone will go off even if your phone is on silent, so finding it isn’t a problem anymore. Attaching the Tile to your car keys is a great way to keep track of them

GearEye

If you’re the sort of professional that carries round bags of equipment or an overstuffed handbag then this is the app you desperately need. The GearEye, like the Tile, works by tracking your items but, instead of helping you find lost items, this app is used to prevent you from losing your items in the first place. With the app you receive up to 200 battery free RFID adhesive GearTags that the GearEye app can track. Stick these tags onto all of your important belongings, including your car keys, and attach the GearEye dongle to the outside of your bag. After you’ve finished packing your bag, bring up the app and start scanning. Your GearEye will track the items and will tell you, based on the proximity of the items to the dongle, whether or not you have forgotten to pack something. If it notices that something is missing from your bag it will give you the option to locate it and the app will tell you where it is with incredible accuracy. For messy packers and professionals in a hurry this app is a saving grace and saves you from spending money on buying a tracker for each of your items.

TrackR

TrackR is perhaps one of the leading finders of lost things.  With more than 4.5m TrackR units shipped, the device cannot only find your lost things, but when you sign up, you sign up for the TrackR network, which uses other people’s devices to find yours. The “crowd GPS network” will notify you when another user walks by your item, and sends you a confidential update. It is also integrated with Amazon’s Alexa, allowing you to ask Alexa where your things are.

 

 

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You should never use your phone while you’re driving, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t use your phone to help with your driving. There are lots of great apps out there that can help you overcome all of the struggles that come from being a car owner, including keeping track of your car, improving your driving, and getting your car repaired. Just to show you how many great apps there are, here’s a list of only a few:

Find My Car

Have you lost your car again? In a busy parking lot it’s surprisingly easy for that to happen, but it won’t be with the Find My Car app. All you have to do is log your position into the app once you’ve parked your car and you’ll never lose it again. The app will give you a GPS location of exactly where you parked and even direct you right up to the driving seat. If you find that anything should happen to it or you get stuck in your car for any reason, the app also has an emergency button that will send a text to your family or friends of your exact location. It also comes with an offline navigation option, so even when you’re away from the internet you’ll still know exactly how to find your car.

Fiat eco: Drive App

If you have a Fiat or are looking to buy one in the future then you should definitely check out the Fiat app for your car. It teaches you all about making the most of your Fiat car and how to keep it efficient. The great thing about this app is that you won’t be distracted by a phone screen. Instead it’s an app for your computer. By plugging a USB into your Fiat car your driving information will be automatically then, when you’ve finished your journey, plug the USB into the computer with the app and it’ll give you feedback on your driving. It’ll grade your performance, tell you how far you’ve travelled, how much fuel you’ve used and the total CO2 emitted. It’ll give you great driving tips to save fuel and reduce your CO2 emission as well as give you an optional ‘challenge’ to help you drive more efficiently. If you want to start being more eco-friendly then now’s the time to start looking at new Fiat cars for sale and download the app today.

RepairPal

Sadly, this app is only available in the US at the moment, but everyone’s looking forward to the day it goes international. It is a fantastic tool to use with your car and makes being a car owner a lot easier. With this app you can record all of the repairs you’ve had on your car, get estimates for repairs and even get recommendations for nearby mechanics if you break down as well as call for roadside assistance. It’ll log everything for you in a personal profile and here you can keep track of how much you’ve spent on your car and what condition it’s in.

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Traveling has become somewhat contagious with certain individuals, no matter the destination; certain spots have become very popular. However, traveling may provide a euphoric and exciting sense of adventure; oppose to all the good, it still comes with its own struggles, which is why mobile apps have become very popular with our travellers. Here are the best apps to make your travels more beneficial.

Citymapper

You’ll never get lost with Citymapper- a comprehensive, easy to use app which offers a detailed journey planner that is superior to most planners out there. It includes real-time departures, in addition to disruptions or delays. It is available around 30 cities worldwide, so wherever you are, you’ll never feel out of the loop with this app.

Duolingo

You go to bar to order some food and a few drinks however; you come across a barman who can’t speak your native language. This could certainly cause problems, but if you have the Duolingo app, these problems will cease to exist. Duolingo is a free and incredibly well-designed language app. It won’t get you speaking fluent Spanish in quick succession, but it is a fun way to learn the basics and keep you reminded with the grammar and vocabulary. So, if you were to order that drink and meal, you can do it in your best accent.

Tripit

This free app acts like your own personal travel guide. Pulling together all sorts of travel information such as confirmed flights, hotels, rental cars, event booking and converts. It’s the itinerary you’ll need if you want a well organised trip. It’s especially useful if you are planning to visit America. Due to the country being so large, having an organised itinerary can be very useful to allow a stress-free journey. If you are planning to visit the United States, make sure you get your US visa with Esta-visa which is an easy 3 step online application.

Airbnb

This is probably one of the most useful apps on the list. Finding accommodation is a very important aspect when traveling and it also can be a difficult and expensive one too. Yet, with Airbnb you should face no problem what so ever as there will always be somewhere for you to stay. Another positive about this app is the reviews on each available room. This allows you to see if customers have been having a pleasant stay or not. With all this, most places that are advertised on this app are affordable and safe- which are two of the most important factors when it comes to traveling.

Dark Sky

This is quite a unique app which gives you the heads-up for whether your day trip is going to turn into a rainy mess or a summer’s burn. The app works in the USA, the UK and Ireland; it presents to you an animated map of the clouds and temperatures giving you the heads up if the destination you are heading in will bucket it down, so with this app you may have a chance of beating the rain and keeping dry.

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Boarding a plane can be exciting, memorable and downright exhilarating (we can all remember our first time on an airplane, right?), but there comes a point 8 hours in on a long haul flight to California when killing time becomes a priority. Smartphones and tablets have become a life-saver when it comes to helping us enjoy our journeys that little bit more and, as WiFi in the sky is often limited to a few airlines, playing some great games while flying shouldn’t be compromised due to a lack of internet access.

No matter what far-flung destination you have to travel to, these apps are sure to make your flight as tolerable as possible:

Spirits (Android and IPad)

This game is great for anxious travellers because it’s as challenging as it is calming. The goal is to transport incredibly cute white spirits home through a series of obstacles. With beautiful imagery, soothing music and some really tough levels; this game is a great option for a more chilled-out journey.

National Geographic World Atlas (iOS and Windows 8)

If travel is your passion then why not download the National Geographic World Atlas app? Browsing through the app is equally as entertaining as it is encompassing, meaning time will fly away with you. It also means you’ll land knowing a little bit more about your destination than when you left off!

2016-12-06-natgeo-atlas

Zen Space (iPad)

Dealing with irritating fellow passengers on any flight (let alone a long haul flight) is possibly the worst case imaginable for the majority of us. Zen Space is a handy app to have at the ready to combat any noisy seat-mates. The app helps you create your own tranquil state of mind by drawing paths through sand with different rakes in a Japanese garden. The combination of gently drawing shapes in sand alongside with the sound of nature floating through your headphones, you are sure to feel at ease in moments.

Paper (iPad)

If you have limited hand luggage space, bringing a pen and paper to doodle or play noughts and crosses on may not be top of your priorities when packing for a flight. Sketching on the Paper app means you can draw to your hearts content for absolutely free.

Audible (Apple and Android)

A great alternative to listening to music and having tired eyes has to be an audio book. Not only is Audible free, it has something to suit everyone, with over 150,000 audio books on offer in their library.

Card Games (iOS)

Losing the odd playing card is an all too common occurrence on flights which is why Card Games is revolutionary in allowing you to play card games without creating a mess on your teeny tray table. Bonus.

If you’re flying on a long-haul flight to America, applying for the Visa Waiver, more commonly referred to as the US Visa, will be as vital as downloading some awesome apps. The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation makes visitors eligible to travel to the US under the USA Visa Waiver Program. Introduced in 2009, it is used to enhance security measures and pre-screen travellers before they can board a plane or ship headed for the US.

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Perhaps you’ve heard about the company De La Rue and their preposterous idea to put our passports on our phones. If you haven’t these massive producers of passports are looking into the technology to put passports on our phones, working in a similar way as a mobile boarding pass. Although the app hasn’t been perfected yet, people are already questioning the ramifications of such a technology. There already exists a few apps that allow you to use your phone as a passport in certain areas, but is it a good idea? Will this be the trend of the future?

It’s already been a couple of years since the first mobile passport app came out and the buzz that once surrounded it has died down somewhat. Initially, most people were excited by the prospect of ditching the pocket stuffing and using their phone to get through airports, but it seems that there are a few things standing in the way of this app in its attempts to get off the ground. One of the biggest issues is airport compliance. With the original mobile passport app you just have to type in your passport details, answer a few customs questions once you’ve landed at your destination and then have a code on your phone scanned to give you the all clear. At the moment, these scanners and lanes that are specifically for mobile passports are available in only a few airports in the U.S. and because of this not many people are downloading the app. But, the mobile service is available in only a few airports because airports don’t have enough people using them. The app and the airports are in a bit of a stalemate at the moment and so not much development has been done to make the mobile passport a common technology. So, it’s difficult to say what will happen to the idea at this point. Perhaps, instead of passports, we’ll see apps that can store our European insurance card or travel insurance information.

2016-12-01-mobile-passport

However, if, hypothetically speaking, the mobile passport was available at all airports and a lot of people used it, would it be a sensible alternative to a printed passport? On the one hand, people would probably be grateful to have a backup passport to use if they lose their printed one and in regards to convenience an app is a lot easier to use and keep track of. But, an app also opens up the possibility of fraud. What’s to stop someone from using someone else’s phone or passport information? Depending on how this technology is developed in the future, we may or may not find that these types of apps are more dangerous than they are useful.

It’s hard to say for sure what will happen to this app or if we’ll see more like it I our future. Although the technology is impressive and would certainly make our lives a lot easier, it is still very young and it has a long way to go before it will manage to convince people to switch their passports to digital.

 

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According to Comscore, 7 out of 10 smartphone users keep their most used apps on their home screen. Increasingly it is becoming more common for users to create folders of apps to stick them in. The primary reason for users moving the app to the home screen is because the app is used often.  The implication of this is a ‘crowding out’ of apps, and that we may only use a few apps as a result. The principle of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ may cause havoc for app developers. Is there reason to click the panic button?

If you have been in the app business for a while, you know that all the action is on the first few pages for top 25 lists of the app stores.  It may therefore be quite scary if the fight you just had on the app store to get discovered and downloaded now transfers to the handset and continues on an ongoing basis:

Source: Comscore

But is the way of the icon the way to go?

While the research clearly shows placement matters, the icon should be just that – an icon.  The true meaning of the word refers to something that has become a widely-known symbol. It implies it has been in existence for a while, and thus represents something – something that has been built up over time and gotten known.  The irony is that icons on the phone screen has become synonymous with something that is now in danger of being forgotten.  But here is why we think soon it will not matter.

Icons are old school

It will probably not be a shocker to say we are not fanboys. When we started the app business, phones had stamp sized screens, and the apps – in J2ME – had to be made in gazillion versions to fit all the handsets. But the 3G market for apps was quite good. But as everyone knows, the app market became tremendous with the release of the iPhone.  So, what annoys us the most about the iPhone still to this day?  The fact that the iPhone has an insanely archaic and boring layout of icons.  Seriously, with the amazing things you can do with Android, especially in forked versions, why on earth would you stick to this design to represent what is on the phone?  The answer is simply legacy. Apple has trained us to think this is how it should be – but it is not.

Technology dictates that the end of the square is near

There are several reasons we are due for a change in how we access apps and services on the phone:

  • Voice commands and assistants like Cortana, Google Now, Siri and others are increasingly getting smarter and better. It is now very easy to launch an app with your voice.
  • AI and smarts in your phone should easily be able to predict what you need when. For instance, is it 730am and breakfast time? I am probably reading some news. 8pm and Sunday? Probably looking for some household stuff from Costco for the week (well, that could be me only, but you get the point).
  • AR and sensors built into the phone could mean you would be operating your phone in true ‘Minority Report’ style with hand gestures etc.  Heck, even biometrics could signal an app need (getting tired? Fire up the coffee app…).

The phone is already equipped with features that allow you to ensure that what you need is available when you need it. Furthermore, notifications and other features should save you from having to flip through icons to know what you want.

For developers, you will still need to spend to get discovered. However, once you are discovered your focus should be on user onboarding and engagement, and then figure out how to be top of mind for the user when they should be using your app. There is no reason to obsess about home screen placement or annoying push notifications. Instead, have notifications that are useful and relevant, and integrate with other means such as emails, reminders in other apps, or perhaps even ads reminding your app is available (and ensure the ad is shown at the right time). This involves thinking ‘beyond your app’ to engage the user.

Of course, your icon design should still be kick-ass. But the icon should and shall die in relevance.

 

 

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It is advised that you change our boiler every 20 years. Although your boiler may still work at an older age, it is found that they become far less economical at an older age and could be adding a considerable excess onto your energy bills. If it’s time for you to get a new boiler, you may consider getting a smart boiler with an app that allows you to monitor how much energy you’re using. DP Gas, who offer boiler replacement services in Haywards Heath, have found that customers who use services like Hive or Nest could save around £300 on their energy bills.

Here we take a look at a number of smart apps that enable to control a variety of appliances in your home, and all the while making your life easier.

Hive

‘With Hive, you control your home from your phone’ says the jingle you may recognise from many commercial radio stations. Hive is the genius innovation from British Gas that combines a cutting edge thermostat with a smartphone app and allows you to control your gas and electrical items from anywhere in the world. So this means the days of coming home to a freezing cold house after a long day at work are long gone. Instead, you can turn your boiler on while you’re still on the bus, allowing the house to preheat for your arrival. You can monitor everything in your house so you can double check if you left your hair straighteners on, and thus avoiding a serious accident.

Nest

It is now easier than ever before to track your energy usage thanks to Nest. They provide a Learning Thermostat that gradually schedules itself as it gets used to how and when you use your boiler. Every time you use your boiler is documented, allowing you to review why the heating was on at a certain time, and makes it easier for you to work out where you could make potential savings by using your heating less. Nest is extra clever though, as it can sense when there is nobody in the house and turn down the heating accordingly.

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Smarter Coffee

Now you can literally wake up and smell the coffee with the all new Smarter Coffee Machine that is Wi-Fi compatible. Through the Smarter app you can tell your machine to brew coffee, no matter where you are, You can control everything from the strength of the coffee you’d like and how many cups you need it to fill. The best part of all, you can set a schedule to coincide with your daily alarm clock so there’s a cup of coffee waiting for you as soon as you get up.

BT Smart Home Cam

Because you can’t be too careful when it comes to your home security, BT now offers the solution with their new Smart Home Cam. The camera looks a lot like their routers and can stream straight your smartphone or tablet via iOS or Android. So you can view a live stream from your home whenever you need to so you can check in on your home while you’re on a glamorous beach in the Bahamas or check in on your pets while you’re at work. With HD quality and a night vision feature, you can zoom in and out accordingly and like the device to multiple cameras so you can see every room in the house.

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The debate on mobile app vs mobile web has raged for years. We thought we had put it to rest a couple of years ago, when statistics overwhelmingly favored apps. New research from Comscore not only confirms this trend, but also shows that app users are a much more captive audience. But the days of publishing your app on a single app store and hope for an uptake are over.

First, it is clear mobile web is growing.  In the US, there was a 36% increase in terms of number of mobile web properties that reached unique visitor milestones, whilst for apps this growth was only 7%.  This of course is a result of more and more businesses bringing their web properties to a mobile format.  This makes total sense when you look at Google thinking of changing how search results are presented based on your mobile presence, and the fact that mobile is becoming the primary usage channel for online.  However, when it comes to usage, apps are by far dominant:

Source: Comscore 2016 US Mobile Apps Report

At the same time, statistics is showing that app discovery is getting harder and harder. Publishers and developers alike need to start reverting to advertising to get discovered:

Source: Comscore 2016 US Mobile Apps Report

The big app stores are not growing in importance, and traditional discovery methods such as discovery from websites or ads are increasing. And if it is not clear already, you cannot, and should not, rely on a single store for your app. There are multiple facets to any marketing strategy, and distribution (the ‘Place’ of the 4 ‘Ps’ of marketing), is by far the most overlooked strategy in our opinion. Knowledge of ASO and spending on ads is well known, but you need to be smart on both where you spend and where you distribute.

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It has got to a time where there is such a reliance on our mobile phones, tablets and other technologies that mobile apps are quickly becoming something that we use every day and soon they will be something that we will not be able to live without. In fact a Smarts Insights report shows that the consumer preference for mobile media time is with mobile apps – with 89% of media time in mobile being used on them, compared to 11% being spent on media through the mobile web. Because of this, there is now a mobile app for almost anything these days, but the question is which are the most useful? Fortunately for you, we’ve put together a list of the top 5 most useful.

Waze

We’ve all had trouble with Google Maps at some point or another, and that’s where Waze comes in. Waze took the GPS navigation world by storm in 2014, as its interactive app allowed users to find the most accurate traffic reports with the latest accidents, police traps, road debris and any delays all reported immediately, by the users themselves as soon as you see them. Simply, Waze gets you from point A to point B in the quickest time possible, whereas we all know how Google Maps likes to take us around the houses. It can also help to make your daily commute a little more fun as the more accidents that you report, the more points you earn so you can level up. The app is compatible with iPhone, Android and Windows Phone and the best part is that it’s free. Waze has also had some excellent reviews showing just how popular it really is.

AroundMe

If you’re travelling around a lot for work, or you’re simply going on a few trips soon, then you might want to download AroundMe. AroundMe is an app that will simply let you know what is around you. Whether you’re looking for a new restaurant to try, a gas station or simply a place to park, AroundMe can help. It even has a GroupOn deals section so you can find the deals that are in your area saving you money. AroundMe can also show you the nearest activities such as beaches and casinos, so if you’ve studied some casino games with online information guides such as the Ladbrokes Basic Blackjack Guide and you’re looking for the nearest casino to try your new skills in, just log onto AroundMe. If you’re not sure where you are, then download AroundMe. Available on both iPhone and Android and available for free.

Source: Hexjam

Cloze

Cloze is a genius idea that works a little bit like Hootsuite in the fact that you can have all of your social media accounts all in one place. This way, you don’t have to check four different websites or apps to see what you want to see as with Cloze, everything is all in one place. It can also organise your contacts into who you last spoke to so everyone that you speak to is just a single click away. The app is available on both Android and iPhone, and on the plus side it is free.

Uber/Lyft

If you’ve never experience Uber or Lyft before, then you’re seriously missing out. Uber is essentially a taxi service where you can be picked up by a driver that is in your area, and while the fare is metered like a normal taxi cab, the price tends to be significantly cheaper and no money actually changes hands – it all comes straight from the bank card that is connected to your account. You’ll find that your waiting times are cut in half and that your journey cost is also significantly reduced with Uber. Lyft on the other hand is a ride-sharing service which works in a similar way to Uber in the fact that it’s a cashless system. With Lyft, all of the cars also tote giant pink moustaches to really give you that element of fun so you never feel awkward in a taxi again.

30/30

If your day needs a little more organisation, then turn to 30/30. Essential this is a to-do list, but in many respects it is so much more than a to-do list. It’s simple and colourful, and you can give yourself time limits on the tasks that you want to do, so your day is planned out from start to finish. This is perfect for work purposes and also for day to day life. The app will alert you when it’s time to move on to your next time, making sure that your day is organised to the max. It’s compatible on iPhone and Android and one of the bonuses is that it is free.

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“Whoever comes into the marketplace is going to have to work through us” – those were the strong words of then CEO of Vodafone, Arun Sarin in 2007. Arguable he missed that one by a few football fields. Whether greed, arrogance or technical ineptness served to marginalize mobile operator as the universal payment and billing gateway is up for debate.  But there are places where they do still matter.

Vision Mobile in their report “The Evolving State of Mobile Commerce” points to that mobile operators indeed matter in the Middle East and Africa, but that they have been marginalized pretty much everywhere:

Source: Vision Mobile

Of course, this considers all mobile commerce transactions. One can argue that for micro-billing (i.e. app purchases etc), they still do matter, as fixed costs from card networks and banks often can then be compared to the high % fees charged by operators due to the lower Average Order Values (AOVs).

Needless to say, companies who are entrenched in the mobile operator billing business may not be the most objective source of information on the state of the industry, but industry leader Fortumo does point to quite healthy growth rates, with way over 100% growth rates in massive markets like Indonesia.

What is the main reason behind this growth, besides increasing smartphone penetration? Well, few will argue that the one-click experience mobile billing offers is the key characteristic behind it’s attractiveness. But few will also dispute that greedy carriers who often keep 50% or more (still much the case in markets like Brazil and India), is some of the top reasons the industry shies away from using mobile operator billing. But even in markets like Indonesia, where payouts are in the 30% mark, we can see triple digit growth, which is impressive.

Carrier billing has puzzled us for years, and no doubt will for many more to come…